Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley said late Sunday that if elected to the White House, she would pardon former President Trump if he is convicted of a federal crime.
Asked directly from the audience at a Fox News town hall in South Carolina, where she previously served as governor, Haley said pardons are in the country’s “best interest” so that Americans can “leave the negative behind” and work toward it. He said it would be. without further division.
“If you’re talking about pardoning Trump, it’s not a question of innocence or guilt at that point, because that means Trump has already been convicted,” Haley said. . “I forgive Donald Trump because I believe it’s in our best interest to unite our country. Because I think it’s important for our country to move forward.”
“We have to leave the negativity and baggage behind,” she added. “I don’t want this country to be any more divided. I don’t think it’s in America’s best interest to have an 80-year-old president in prison and everyone be upset about it. I think it’s time for us to step forward and solve this problem.”
President Trump currently faces four criminal charges, including two at the federal level brought by Special Counsel Jack Smith. One for allegedly trying to stay in power after losing the 2020 election, and the other for knowingly retaining national security information and obstructing federal efforts. be. The government will retrieve the documents.
Despite the legal challenges, Trump remains the party’s front-runner.
The latest national poll average released by The Hill/Decision Desk shows Trump leading by 62.9 percentage points, 79.1% to Haley’s 16.2%.
Haley’s comments also came a week before the South Carolina Republican primary, scheduled for Saturday, February 23rd. Trump’s lead in South Carolina is narrower than his lead nationally, according to an average of primary polls. He leads by 31.8 percentage points, 64.3% to Haley’s 32.5%.
Haley has previously been asked about the possibility of a presidential pardon, an action taken by former President Ford after former President Richard Nixon resigned in the wake of the Watergate scandal. Ford’s controversial pardon applied to all crimes that Nixon “committed or may have committed.” depending on language what was in use at the time.
Haley said in January that she would not consider a pre-emptive pardon for Trump, but would pardon him if he was found guilty.
“I think we’ll only do that if someone is found guilty. So what I’m saying is, this is about moving the country forward, and we’re not going to do that if we have an 80-year-old former president sitting in prison.” The last thing we want to see is,” she said on Fox News when asked if she had. He would promise to pardon Trump preemptively or only if he is found guilty.
“Instead, we want to say, ‘Okay, how do we forget the past and move forward as a country?’ And by forgiving him, rather than further dividing the country, we absolutely I think we can move it forward. So I think we always have to think about what’s in the best interest of the country,” she added.
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