# Will President Pence pardon Donald Trump? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [May 11, 2017, 11:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-president-pence-pardon-donald-trump/786340 "2017-05-11T11:38:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2017, 11:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-president-pence-pardon-donald-trump/786340/1 "2017-05-11T11:38:08Z")
I guess I’m getting ahead of myself here so let me restate: Assuming Mike Pence is still Vice President when Donald Trump resigns to avoid impeachment will President Pence pardon Donald Trump? ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2017, 11:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-president-pence-pardon-donald-trump/786340/2 "2017-05-11T11:49:17Z")
I don’t know what to root for. On one hand, it would be tremendously gratifying to see Cheeto die in solitary in a maximum security prison along with the rest of his family. On the other hand, if he got a pardon that would be as damaging to Republicans as Ford’s pardon of Nixon. So I guess I’ll be happy with either outcome as long as it gets him out of office. As for what would happen, my guess is that Pence would pardon him. Unlike Il Douche, he seems to have a bit of loyalty about him. ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2017, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-president-pence-pardon-donald-trump/786340/3 "2017-05-11T12:26:24Z")
Did Ford pardon Nixon? Is the Pope Catholic? Yes, he will. In the name of his God. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2017, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-president-pence-pardon-donald-trump/786340/4 "2017-05-11T12:28:47Z")
Why would Pence pardon a guy who’d already pardoned himself? ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2017, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-president-pence-pardon-donald-trump/786340/5 "2017-05-11T13:04:50Z")
Thanks for the thread. Makes me nostalgic for all the “Should \ pardon \?” threads we had back during the election. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2017, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-president-pence-pardon-donald-trump/786340/6 "2017-05-11T13:20:45Z")
Pence is up to his nose in this Russia shit. Why should the Presidency be handed to him after the short-fingered vulgarian is sentenced to bread and water for life? Throw him in the fuckin’ oubliette with Trump. ---
**Author:** ![Fiveyearlurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@Fiveyearlurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveyearlurker)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2017, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-president-pence-pardon-donald-trump/786340/7 "2017-05-11T13:25:10Z")
Agnew was removed first. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2017, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-president-pence-pardon-donald-trump/786340/8 "2017-05-11T13:25:44Z")
> [@Ukulele\_Ike](#): > > Pence is up to his nose in this Russia shit. Why should the Presidency be handed to him after the short-fingered vulgarian is sentenced to bread and water for life? Throw him in the fuckin’ oubliette with Trump. Don’t fight the hypothetical. Assume we don’t try Pence first. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2017, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-president-pence-pardon-donald-trump/786340/9 "2017-05-11T13:26:44Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > Why would Pence pardon a guy who’d already pardoned himself? Has the legality of a self-pardon ever been established? I think in theory it works but has it ever been tested say at the state level by an outgoing governor pardoning himself? ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2017, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-president-pence-pardon-donald-trump/786340/10 "2017-05-11T13:50:04Z")
> [@Ukulele\_Ike](#): > > Pence is up to his nose in this Russia shit. He is??? He’s an old-school Republican when it comes to foreign policy (that is, anti-Russian), but I’m open to seeing whatever evidence you have. As for the OP, assuming the hypothetical, I’d say maybe. 🙂 It’s possible that public sentiment could turn very, very negative and Pence might not what to push his luck. I would not consider it a foregone conclusion that he would pardon Trump. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2017, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-president-pence-pardon-donald-trump/786340/11 "2017-05-11T14:15:05Z")
IMHO If Trump were to get impeached within the next year or so, then Pence could pardon him with relative impunity because he’d have enough time to establish himself as POTUS. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2017, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-president-pence-pardon-donald-trump/786340/12 "2017-05-11T14:16:47Z")
If Trump were forced out of office, the Republicans would want to end the situation as quickly as possible and avoid the spectacle of a prolonged trial and conviction. So the damage caused by pardoning him would be less than the damage caused by not pardoning him. And a pardon would focus the heat on Pence rather than having it diffused as widely throughout the party. So Pence would be expected to pardon Trump. ---
**Author:** ![Merneith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Merneith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merneith)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2017, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-president-pence-pardon-donald-trump/786340/13 "2017-05-11T14:26:16Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > He is??? He’s an old-school Republican when it comes to foreign policy (that is, anti-Russian), but I’m open to seeing whatever evidence you have. The evidence is that Mike Pence was personally involved in the transition process, when all these “secret” meetings and discussions with the Russians were going on. ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2017, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-president-pence-pardon-donald-trump/786340/14 "2017-05-11T14:44:02Z")
If Pence were to have any ambition to do more than simply finish out the remainder of Trump’s turn he won’t pardon him. It’s more likely that Trump would attempt to pardon himself as his last official act. If that happens expect a big push for a constitutional amendment. Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2017, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-president-pence-pardon-donald-trump/786340/15 "2017-05-11T15:42:45Z")
> [@alphaboi867](#): > > If Pence were to have any ambition to do more than simply finish out the remainder of Trump’s turn he won’t pardon him. I disagree. Providing it happens soon, of course. As you may recall, a week is a long time in politics, and in 3.5 years, this will all be irrelevant. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2017, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-president-pence-pardon-donald-trump/786340/16 "2017-05-11T16:43:35Z")
Of course he will. The gods have abandoned us for their own amusement, and this guy makes Slick Willy look positively gooey. He will walk free and enriched beyond his dreams. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2017, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-president-pence-pardon-donald-trump/786340/17 "2017-05-11T17:17:52Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > I disagree. Providing it happens soon, of course. As you may recall, a week is a long time in politics, and in 3.5 years, this will all be irrelevant. You may recall that Ford lost his presidential election approximately 3.5 years after pardoning Nixon. Not many people think the pardon was irrelevant. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2017, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-president-pence-pardon-donald-trump/786340/18 "2017-05-11T17:23:56Z")
> [@CarnalK](#): > > You may recall that Ford lost his presidential election approximately 3.5 years after pardoning Nixon. Not many people think the pardon was irrelevant. There were other factors in play there, notably Vietnam. But Ford had the chance and blew it. Should Trump be impeached, Pence will have the chance to put Trump behind him and forge his own path - and reputation. ---
**Author:** ![Fiveyearlurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@Fiveyearlurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveyearlurker)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2017, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-president-pence-pardon-donald-trump/786340/19 "2017-05-11T17:26:23Z")
What about President Ryan? Or President Hatch? ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2017, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-president-pence-pardon-donald-trump/786340/20 "2017-05-11T18:10:46Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > There were other factors in play there, notably Vietnam. But Ford had the chance and blew it. Should Trump be impeached, Pence will have the chance to put Trump behind him and forge his own path - and reputation. Yes, “other factors” and “Pence will have a chance” are reasonable things to ponder. You, however, said a pardon would be irrelevant next election. That is not reasonable. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-president-pence-pardon-donald-trump/786340.md?page=2)