Why Not Pardon Trump?

In today's Washington Post, former Watergate prosecution counsel Philip Allen Lacovara considers "What the Nixon pardon tells us about the perils of letting Trump walk."

But what about the benefits (to the Democratic Party) of letting Trump walk?

Suppose that tomorrow morning, Joe Biden walks into the White House press room waving a sheet of paper reading:

Now, I, Joseph R. Biden, President of the United States, pursuant to the pardon power conferred upon me by Article II, Section 2, of the Constitution, have granted and by these presents do grant a full, free, and absolute pardon unto Donald J. Trump for all offenses against the United States which he, Donald J. Trump, has committed or may have committed or taken part in during the period from January 20, 2017 through January 20, 2021.

Then makes brief remarks -- interspersed, no doubt with "come on, man," "you know, the thing," and stories about Corn Pop -- to the effect that it's time to move on, that his administration is not going to waste any more time on recriminations and the politics of personal destruction, etc. Just, you know, leave that lying dog-faced pony soldier alone.

The value of Trump's most substantial political asset -- his butt-hurt martyr mythology -- would instantly plummet.

Not to zero, of course. He'd still be on the hook for a number of state-level charges, some related to his presidency and some not. And if there's one guy on the planet who can always find some perceived persecution to whine like a petulant toddler about, it's Trump.

But on the January 6 stuff, etc., he'd be reduced to running around denouncing Biden ... for pardoning him ... and claiming he doesn't "need" a pardon.

Heck, he might say he "refuses" the pardon, and maybe even go to court to contest it. And if he won that case, well, maybe that next knock at the door would be Merrick Garland with a stack of indictments.

Meanwhile, Biden was just the nice guy who tried to help a brother out and get the country past all this nastiness.

Nah, it won't happen. But it would be a smart move on Biden's part.