The series of absurdities deployed this week to undermine the rule of law is so complex that it would be funny even if the subject matter wasn't so serious.
The Biden administration has demonstrated consistent corruption, leveling outrageous charges against political opponents, threatening concerned parents, and targeting professing Christians. Fearing the consequences of their actions, progressives have done everything they can to prevent President Donald Trump from returning to the White House, including an assassination attempt. Now, President Joe Biden has granted a sweeping pardon to his son Hunter and is reportedly considering additional “preemptive” pardons to protect allies.
Standards that apply only to one side are not principles, they are weapons.
President Trump must reject calls for capitulation from both the left and the right of the establishment, while ensuring that Democrats are held accountable for their abuses of power. If he fails to act, the left is likely to resume legal action the moment the Democratic Party regains power.
Last week, both National Review and Politico published articles urging Trump to avoid retaliation if he returns to office. While National Review found corruption within the Biden Justice Department and Politico largely downplayed it, both President Trump refrains from using his power to hold accountable those responsible for legal overreach. I concluded that it should.
The word “retaliation” itself is a manipulative attempt to poison the well. The right word is “justice,” and without justice, those who have been wronged will not only be unsatisfied, but the incentives will be to reinstate incredibly corrupt practices the moment Democrats regain power. It will be.
The ideological articles urging President Trump to exercise restraint were already ridiculous. But Joe Biden brought the issue home a few days later by granting a sweeping pardon to his son Hunter. In addition to covering the specific weapons charges Hunter was convicted of, this pardon can also protect Hunter from the following charges: all Potential crimes dating back to 2014.
While it may be understandable to use presidential power to protect a son from certain life-altering mistakes, this blanket pardon reeks of corruption. The scope goes back to Hunter's alleged role as his father's bagman, suggesting that self-interest played a bigger role than paternal love in this brazen act.
If Hunter Biden's pardon wasn't enough to make a mockery of the rule of law, Politico is now reporting that the administration is considering full pardons for other Democratic allies. Anthony Fauci, Liz Cheney, Adam Schiff and other individuals who could be held accountable under the Trump administration could receive preemptive pardons.
If the Biden administration takes this step, it will destroy any remaining illusion that the justice system is functioning. Americans who see this blatant corruption can no longer trust that progressives will respect calls for civility and restraint. The left is scrambling to avoid responsibility, burning away the last bit of credibility along with the evidence.
Americans like to believe that they live under the rule of law, not the rule of men. But ultimately all laws must be administered by someone. A society's norms and beliefs can be enshrined in legal systems, but if those in power do not enforce or respect those standards, they become meaningless.
President Joe Biden has repeatedly said of Donald Trump that “no one is above the law.” But Biden has shown no interest in upholding those principles when it comes to people like his son Hunter or Anthony Fauci. Standards that apply only to one side are not principles, they are weapons.
Conservatives are inherently drawn to restoring order and sanity. Most Republican voters want a justice system that punishes criminals, protects the public, and is apolitical. But order cannot be restored unless Democrats face the consequences of violating these norms. Losing an election is not enough.
President Trump must take substantive action to impose accountability and prevent progressive politicians and bureaucrats from abusing their power again when the opportunity arises. Every schoolchild learns that democratic pendulum swings and conflicting ambitions restrain government power. However, this system will not work if one side makes abuse of power a principle and the other refuses to exercise it at all.
President Trump should start by pardoning the Jan. 6 defendants and other Democratic enemies like Douglas McKee, who are facing politically motivated prosecutions under the Biden Justice Department. The Trump administration should consider dismantling the FBI entirely, or at least closing its Washington headquarters. This effort should include laying off as many staff as possible and reassigning remaining staff to various field offices across the country.
Officials who committed crimes while carrying out the Biden administration's corrupt policies should be prosecuted. Those who participate in criminal acts but do not commit criminal acts should be removed from their positions. Accountability must be a priority.
Healing, unity, and a true restoration of the rule of law can only occur after the left's entrenched influence in the American system is eradicated. Those who recommend retreat or restraint without ensuring that Democrats face the consequences are either naive or willfully protecting the entrenched establishment.
President Trump must take bold action and ignore disingenuous demands for civility designed to enable future progressive abuses. For ambition to really check ambition, the pendulum must swing, and the pendulum must swing difficult.
