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GOP Sen. Mitt Romney says Biden should have pardoned Trump

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Trump on Trial


GOP SEN. MITT ROMNEY SAYS BIDEN SHOULD HAVE PARDONED TRUMP

Romney, an outspoken Trump critic, told MSNBC's Stephanie Ruhle that Biden "made
an enormous error" by not pardoning Trump in federal cases or pressuring New
York prosecutors to drop the hush money charges.

Sen. Mitt Romney called the New York hush money case a "win-win for Donald
Trump."Graeme Sloan / Sipa via AP
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May 15, 2024, 8:22 AM HST / Updated May 15, 2024, 10:28 AM HST
By Summer Concepcion

Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, argued that President Joe Biden should have pardoned
Donald Trump after the Justice Department brought indictments against the former
president and pressured New York prosecutors not to pursue Trump's ongoing hush
money trial.

In an exclusive interview on MSNBC’s “The 11th Hour with Stephanie Ruhle,”
Romney expressed his dismay in response to Republican lawmakers, including the
presumptive Republican presidential nominee’s vice presidential prospects,
rallying to Trump’s defense outside the Manhattan courthouse where Trump’s hush
money trial is taking place.




“How does that make you feel about Republicans?” Ruhle asked Romney.

Romney, a vocal critic of Trump, said, “I think it’s a terrible fault for our
country to see people attacking our legal system — that’s an enormous mistake. I
think it’s also demeaning for people to quite apparently try and run for vice
president by donning a red tie and standing outside the courthouse. It's just —
I'd have felt awkward.”

The Utah Republican argued that Biden should have pardoned Trump when the
Justice Department announced charges against him and that the president “made an
enormous error” by not pressuring New York prosecutors to drop their case
against Trump. (Presidents can pardon only in federal cases.)

"He should have fought like crazy to keep this prosecution from going forward,”
Romney said, referring to Biden. “It was a win-win for Donald Trump.”

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Sen. Mitt Romney weighs in on Biden and Trump agreeing to debate
01:21

Pressed by Ruhle whether that is Biden’s job to pardon Trump, Romney said he
believes that Biden should have taken a cue from former President Lyndon B.
Johnson, saying that the president could have stepped in and urged New York
prosecutors to drop the case.



“I have been around for a while. If LBJ had been president, and he didn’t want
something like this to happen, he’d have been all over that prosecutor saying,
‘You better not bring that forward or I’m gonna drive you out of office,’” he
said.

Ruhle then noted that Romney supports having separate but equal branches of
government.


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“I do. ... You may disagree with this, but had I been President Biden, when the
Justice Department brought on indictments, I would have immediately pardoned
him. I'd have pardoned President Trump. Why? Well, because it makes me,
President Biden, the big guy and the person I pardoned a little guy.”

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and several of Trump's potential vice
presidential picks issued public remarks in front of the Manhattan courthouse
where Trump is required to attend court proceedings in the hush money trial
against him, expressing their support and loyalty for him as the trial limits
his time on the campaign trail. The potential VP picks, which include Sen. JD
Vance of Ohio and former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, have
echoed, without evidence, Trump's accusations of the trial being a Democrat-led
effort to interfere with his campaign.

Biden and Trump on Wednesday agreed to participate in general election debates
in June and September, at least the first of which will not have a live
audience. Asked whether debates matter today and if he thinks it would influence
votes, Romney, who unsuccessfully ran for president against Barack Obama in
2012, said people have “low expectations” for Biden but “much higher
expectations” about Trump.



“The image that comes to mind is those two old guys on the Muppets, you know,
that sat in the back ... that's what comes to mind. But I actually think
there’ll be a huge audience for these debates,” he said. “I think people have
very low expectations as to what President Biden will do. I think they have much
higher expectations about President Trump and his competitiveness.”

Romney added that he has had “good exchanges” with Biden and that Trump “seems
energetic and forceful” during his rallies, but he’s unsure about what to expect
when they go head-to-head in debates.

“You have got a cheering crowd and you have got teleprompters you could read, so
how will they do in person?” Romney said, referring to presidential campaign
rallies. “I don’t know the answer to that, but I think America will be
watching.”


Summer Concepcion

Summer Concepcion is a politics reporter for NBC News.

Jesse Rodriguez contributed.


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