Florida governor and presidential candidate Ron DeSantis told reporters that if elected, he would pardon former President Donald Trump if necessary.
Following a campaign event in Iowa on December 29, DeSantis spoke with reporters and reiterated comments he made in July on The Megyn Kelly Show, stating that pardoning Trump was something he mentioned “long ago,” according to NBC News.
In his remarks, DeSantis compared the situation to former President Gerald Ford pardoning his predecessor, Richard Nixon, conceding that Ford “took some heat” for it.
“I think we got to move on as a country and, you know, like Ford did to Nixon, because the divisions are just not in the country’s interest,” he went on to say.
According to NBC News, the next day, a DeSantis campaign official confirmed DeSantis’ pardon proposal.
DeSantis and Trump have had problems in the past, but with the former president leading DeSantis and the field in the polls, displaying sympathy could help.
And the Florida governor isn’t the only Republican candidate considering pardoning Trump if guilty.
While campaigning in New Hampshire the day before DeSantis, former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley backed the idea of pardoning Trump.
“I would pardon Trump if he is found guilty,” she went on to say. “What’s in the best interest of the country would be to pardon him so that we can move on as a country and no longer talk about him.”
Both candidates cited Trump’s age and prior presidency as reasons to keep the 77-year-old out of prison.
“What’s in the best interest of the country is not to have an 80-year-old man sitting in jail that continues to divide our country,” she said.
According to Politico, another Republican contender, Vivek Ramaswamy, backed pardoning Trump in June.
While DeSantis, Haley, and others support a pardon, not every Republican contender is on board.
Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie has stated unequivocally that he will not pardon Trump if given the opportunity.
Former Arkansas governor and Republican candidate Asa Hutchinson also opposes DeSantis and Haley. According to Little Rock, Arkansas television network THV11, Hutchinson stated on Monday that if Trump is guilty, he will not be pardoned.
“Despite the pledge of Haley and DeSantis to pardon Donald Trump, I will not make that commitment,” he declared in response. “It is wrong to promise pardons to score political points, and it undermines the principle of equal justice.”