Ari Fleischer, the former White House press secretary to George W. Bush, advised all Republican 2024 presidential hopefuls to commit to pardoning Donald Trump in the wake of his federal indictment over mishandling U.S. defense secrets, including information about nuclear programs.
“I think every wise Republican should make a pledge they would pardon Donald Trump,” Fleischer said Friday on Fox News, over a chyron reading: “Indictment: Trump suggested to his attorney to hide or destroy classified documents.”
Fleischer went on to spew a bunch of lies about Trump’s grossly negligent handling of the nation’s nuclear secrets somehow approximating Hillary Clinton’s mishandling of classified emails, for which (pesky fact) no criminal wrongdoing was found.
But Fleischer was literally advising 2024 GOP hopefuls to make the pledge as a matter of smart electoral politics. In effect: Pardon Trump because Hillary.
Fox News host John Roberts had asked, “Is there, among Trump supporters, enough of a distrust of the FBI and the DOJ that anybody who pledges to pardon the president has got a leg up here because that feeds into their whole narrative about distrust of government?”
Fleischer responded, “Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely, John.”
Absolutely—speaking as a Democrat—all the smart money is on promising to pardon the guy facing 37 criminal counts for betraying the country and weakening U.S. national security. In fact, don’t do it yet—wait for July 4th, plan a big presser, and make the pledge in the name of patriotism. The optics will be amazing! Maybe top it off with dazzling red, white, and blue fireworks in the shape of a giant “45.”
To date, only tech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy appears to have taken Fleischer’s recommendation. But if Trump’s candidacy blows up, he just might look to trade his endorsement for a pardon pledge.
Either way, electorally speaking, Democrats will take it in a New York minute.