John Dean Reveals Biden Move That Could Doom Trump's 'Revenge' Plot

[Wicked Blue]

Huffpost
Ed Mazza
Dec 2, 2024, 12:01 AM EST
Updated 4 hours ago

John Dean, the former White House counsel who helped bring down President Richard Nixon in the Watergate scandal, urged President Joe Biden to go further with his pardons.

Biden on Sunday pardoned son Hunter Biden, who was found guilty in June in a firearms case and pleaded guilty in September in a tax case.

The president, who had previously vowed not to pardon his son, is facing criticism from both the left and right over the move. But Dean said he didn’t go far enough ― and urged Biden to issue blanket pardons to everyone President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to target when he returns to the White House next month.

That list includes those who have investigated Trump ― including Robert Mueller and Jack Smith and their teams ― as well as “all on Trump’s enemies list.”

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/john-dean-trump-revenge_n_674d27dde4b0e9a096d07d23

[viva la]

1. Trump pardoned war criminals, not to mention half his prospective cabinet.

And he has the gall to demand Biden pardon the "J6" marauders? Hell, he could have done it while he was still president. But he was too busy in those last weeks pardoning all his in-laws.

[Justice matters.]

13. And also too busy plotting to steal thousands of sensitive documents...

to store them in his sh*tty bathroom in merdelargo full of foreign spies with tons of money...

[brakester]

25. And,

NO MORALS!

[OLDMDDEM]

2. I agree Biden should do this.

[Wicked Blue]

3. I wish Biden could pardon himself.

What if he resigned on the day before his last day, and President Kamala Harris pardoned him? I wonder if that could be done.

[wnylib]

4. They could pardon each other.

[Wicked Blue]

6. Even better

[Hope22]

8. I thought they would do this in order to have her pardon Hunter.

But also to have a woman president even for a month and break the stigma and the hate talk about the US ‘not ready for the women’s!’ But they have asked Biden to step aside once already and we failed his great sacrifice. In the meantime women are paying a price out here for the Harris failed campaign.

[calimary]

16. OMG!! That would be utterly delicious!

[Trueblue1968]

28. Do it Joe !!!! Pardon all on Rumps enemy list. Pardon all the democrats in the usa

[TomSlick]

35. Agreed - to a point.

Pardon anyone who was ever involved in any investigation of Trump or his minions. Also pardon anyone listed in any hit list by Trump and his minions.

[AllyCat]

42. He said "donors" were on his list.

So I would take that pardon.

[TomSlick]

46. I'm not sure I would.

First, accepting a pardon is at least a tacit admission of guilt. I committed no crime in making a political donation.

Second, there is not a judge in Arkansas who would not laugh out of court a charge for making a political contribution. I can defend myself, so there will be no attorney's fees. I would try to convince the judge that they have an inherent power to impose sanctions for frivolous charging. Failing that, I would report the prosecutors to the attorney ethics committee. I would raise an unholy stink.

[AllyCat]

47. I no longer trust our judicial system to protect our citizens

Or defend the constitution.

[TomSlick]

48. I have more confidence in the federal judges in Arkansas - yes, Arkansas.

Besides which, our duty at this point is to resist. If some Trump appointed US attorney wants to indict me for making a campaign contribution, I'll put up a fight.

[usedtobedemgurl]

49. For me, this is the big take away of Joe's pardon...

justice department cannot be trusted to be just anymore. Joe knows a lot more than we do about what is going on. I already did not trust the system, after Garland et al. Now? This is proof to me that we are in huge trouble.

[wnylib]

5. Any bets that the orange felon would declare Biden's pardons invalid?

[johnnyfins]

7. He can declare anything

SCOTUS said so.

[TomSlick]

36. That would surely be a bridge too far, even for SCOTUS.

The constitutional provision is too broad and clear.

Besides which, Trump would not do anything that might be precedent for limiting presidential pardon power.

[orleans]

10. that occurred to me last night after i heard about the pardon. nt

[orleans]

9. "BIDEN PARDONS HUNTER. NOW PARDON 10 MILLION OF THE REST OF US - 12.2.24" countdown w/olbermann

audio link
https://omny.fm/shows/countdown-with-keith-olbermann/what-does-bidens-oath-of-office-mean-right-now-12

Biden pardons his son. Terrific. Fully support.

Now, do the rest of us. Literally offer a pardon to anybody Trump might go after for prosecuting him, criticizing him, covering him, or looking at him funny. I want a 1-800-PARDONME hotline. I want 10 million pardons.

SPECIAL COMMENT (2:44): And the pardons should be a jumping off point for how Biden can protect the citizens of this country.

[dalton99a]

11. Biden should use this template:

[HereForTheParty]

17. He pretty much did

Hunter's is a blanket pardon for the past ten years.

[cbabe]

12. I just called my Senators and Rep. Supporting the Hunter pardon. And

asking for Peltier and Jamal pardons along with all admistration and legislators at risk including vp Harris et al.

(White House comment line has very limited hours and not on today.)

[malthaussen]

14. Pardons for crimes they never committed? And btw, to accept a pardon is to admit guilt.

And who's to say that the incoming administration would honor those pardons? This is actually a faintly ridiculous idea. It assumes that the other side will play by the rules, that they'll just shrug their shoulders and say "Oh, well, nothing we can do, then." That is a fantastic assumption. Acting in his official capacity, the next President could choose to ignore all precedent and legality and prosecute anyone, pardoned or not. Indeed, there is no need even to prosecute them, acting in his official capacity the next President could simply choose to summarily imprison or execute them. This is something that drives me crazy, the assumption that the next Administration will follow the rules and can be outsmarted by manipulating them.

-- Mal

[ScratchCat]

15. Its patently ridiculous and Dean should know better

It would be a 100% "admission" to Republicans that The Biden Administration not only "weaponized" the DOJ, but that people such as Smith and such actually committed crimes by investigating Donald Trump. It just forwards the narrative that the GOP so desperately wants to portray. I mean, has Dean lost his mind?

[MayReasonRule]

18. It's Patently Not An Admission... Pardon's Are Also Issued For Crimes That MAY Have Been Committed...

This would be to the benefit of those that have fought and are still fighting to preserve our representative democracy and return us to the rule of law.

Otherwise we're looking at this picture in too many Federal Judicial circuits and of course the Supreme Court itself...



Which would not bode well for those that have fought and still are fighting for our mutual freedoms.

Which then would not bode well for us.

Here's to reason's rule.

[bdamomma]

19. Sounds good

to me, blanket pardons for everyone on the felon's enemies list. But, I'm not the President.

[brakester]

20. The left is NOT criticizing Biden's pardon!!

Last edited Mon Dec 2, 2024, 02:46 PM - Edit history (2)

I read comments on most articles I read. That's a way to cut through the mass media lies and find out what real people feel.

Any of the ones I read since the election 99% of the comments from the left are extremely pro Biden! They are enthusiastically praising President Biden's pardon and hope he does more radical actions.

Of course, I feel that way and am earnestly encouraging him and Madam Vice President in letters to save us from some of the worse abuses from the next Resident's mad king donOld!

Don't believe the media LIES!

[BlueTsunami2018]

22. Sure they are, go to Threads and BlueSky.

There’s quite a bit of criticism about losing the “moral high ground” and “hypocrisy” as if any such things exist at this point.

[Cha]

26. Don't even have to go there to see it.

[brakester]

30. Over the years,

I guess I have changed my media habits over the years to avoid media platforms like twitter, facebook, etc. and so I never joined Bluesky or Threads.

I'm sorry to hear that people are clutching their pearls over saint Joe's pardon.

[ramedy]

31. Dems will keep getting their asses kicked.

But at least they have the “moral high ground”.

😂😂😂

[Stargazer99]

41. I don't think it is Demos - I think it is pretend Demos

[ificandream]

21. Good idea.

I hope he does it.

[moonscape]

23. Sadly, his revenge plot would

not be doomed. The pardoned folks would be replaced with others as the point is shock/awe/cruelty. Names are details.

[Cha]

24. Yeah like Jack Smith, VP Kamala Harris, Gov Tim Walz, & So

Many Etc Etc.. not to mention the Never trumps.

[GoreWon2000]

27. I think John Dean's plan is brilliant!

[Initech]

29. Nothing is going to stop it. Trump has one party rule and a sadistic news network at his disposal.

He can do what he pleases. We are venturing into uncharted territory with this administration.

[Jit423]

32. Biden should give Kamala the reins for just two weeks (behind closed doors).

There is no Constitutional requirement that he step down in public. She could pardon /Biden, and order the Senate to stay in session until all the judicial appointments are made. She could also grant asylum to whomever she wishes.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

33. Good idea

[Aussie105]

34. Why not?

Print 200 million copies of a wide ranging pardon document, leave the recipient blank, mail the document out to anyone who asks and feels threatened in any way by the upcoming Trump disaster train.

Oh, and a special one for those who'd like to get rid of their student loan millstone.

[hadEnuf]

37. Trump and his sick band of sycophants have OPENLY PLEDGED to misuse government power to persecute their

perceived enemies with investigation and trials based on NOTHING. That is fact.


In my opinion, that gives Joe Biden all the reason he needs to grant blanket pardons or immunities to people targeted by Trump. He would only be protecting Americans from nefarious fascists, which is his job to do as President.

[hurple]

38. Pardons?

Does anyone really think pardons will stop trump sending his gestapo to take out his enemies?

[Mr.Bee]

39. Really!

Deflate twumpf before he inflates!

[mollie8]

40. Yes!

Agree 100%

[Evolve Dammit]

44. He should. Drumpf did. Can hear MSM screaming already.

[Crunchy Frog]

45. Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures.

I hope we'll finally see some genuinely bold action on his part.

This is not a normal change of administrations.