Donald Trump is sending the most dangerous signal of his post-presidency, with a promise that if he returns to power he will be prepared to pardon January 6 insurrectionists. His message is a promise of impunity that does not merely propose to let violent political allies and supporters of the former president off the hook for their past lawlessness. It provides none-too-subtle encouragement for the next wave of insurrectionist violence.
As he prepares for an expected 2024 presidential bid, Trump is stealing whole sections from the authoritarian playbook of Italian dictator Benito Mussolini, and other fascists who have used political violence as a tool to create and extend their grip on power.
Rallying supporters in Texas Saturday, the disgraced former president gave every indication that he is planning to run again for the nation’s top job in 2024. And he made an audacious promise to abuse the sweeping pardon powers afforded to presidents, in a way that would protect and encourage insurrectionists. “If I run and if I win, we will treat
— source thenation.com | John Nichols | Feb 1, 2022