Former Attorney General Eric Holder has weighed in on the issue of whether President Biden or the winner of the 2024 presidential election should consider pardoning former President Donald Trump if he is found guilty of federal law violations. Holder, who served as AG under the Obama administration, shared his perspective during an appearance on CBS News’ “Face the Nation.”
“If I were in the position of the president or the next attorney general, I would advise them to allow the system to follow its course. Let the investigations proceed and determine the outcomes. Treat a convicted president or anyone else in the same manner as any other individual,” Holder stated.
A federal grand jury recently indicted Donald Trump on charges related to the alleged intentional retention of national security secrets, conspiracy to obstruct justice, and false statements. The indictment was issued a month ago. Trump pleaded not guilty and referred to the investigation as a “witch hunt.” In April, he also pleaded not guilty to state charges filed against him in New York, which stem from allegations of providing false information on business documents involving hush money payments during the 2016 election season.
Holder emphasized that pardons are typically granted to individuals who express remorse and demonstrate genuine efforts to turn their lives around. “Pardons are intended for individuals who have shown sincere change and transformation,” he added. “If such determinations can be made regarding the former president or any other convicted person, then yes, I would support that. However, without comparable circumstances, I believe it would not be prudent to grant a pardon,” Holder concluded.
Trump, currently the leading contender for the Republican nomination in 2024, and his Republican allies have criticized the numerous charges against him as yet another instance of a targeted “witch hunt.” During the Georgia Republican Convention, Trump denounced the “ridiculous and baseless indictment” brought against him by the Biden administration’s “Department of Injustice,” referring to the prosecution as a gross abuse of power.
Other Republican contenders for the 2024 presidential nomination, including Nikki Haley, Vivek Ramaswamy, and Larry Elder, have suggested that they would likely grant Trump a pardon if they were elected and he were found guilty of a crime during their tenure. On the other hand, candidates such as Chris Christie, Will Hurd, and Asa Hutchinson have publicly stated that they would not pardon Trump if they became president.
In May, President Biden responded humorously to a question from Peter Doocy of Fox News regarding the possibility of pardoning the former president.