“Trump Obviously Plans on Attempting to Pardon Himself”: The Real Motivation Behind Donald Trump’s 2024 White House Bid

Amy LewisNov 23, 2023

Minute Read

Donald Trump has claimed he is “very unlikely” to pardon himself if he wins the 2024 presidential election. Naturally, nobody really believes him.

Trump Maintains Innocence

Despite the aforementioned claim, the former president seemingly doesn’t expect to be convicted. In an NBC interview, he said: “What did I do wrong? I didn’t do anything wrong. You mean because I challenge an election, they want to put me in jail?”

Trump Made History

Trump made history when he was indicted as, before then, it had never happened to a U.S. president or vice president. He was also the first former POTUS to have his mugshot taken, a feat the criminal defendant is probably proud of.

Almost 100 Charges

The former president is facing four criminal cases, with 91 criminal charges related to attempting to overturn an election, falsifying business records, and illegally withholding classified documents.

Felonies in Georgia

Trump is facing 13 felony counts in Georgia. These are in regard to his alleged election interference. Of course, he pleaded not guilty despite clear evidence being available in the form of a leaked phone call.

Stormy Daniels and Classified Documents

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Trump is facing a further 34 criminal charges in relation to hush money payments to Stormy Daniels and 40 for withholding classified documents. The criminal defendant is accused of taking the documents when he left the White House and refusing to give them back.

The Events of Jan 6th

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Finally, Trump is facing four felony counts for attempting to overturn the 2020 election in Washington D.C. The criminal defendant’s reckless language and attempts to make his followers believe that the Democrats stole the election led to the Jan 6th Capitol insurrection.

Trump on Pardoning Himself

Trump previously said: “People said, ‘Would you like to pardon yourself?’ I had a couple of attorneys that said, ‘You can do it if you want.’ I had some people that said, ‘It would look bad if you do it because I think it would look terrible.’ Let me just tell you. I said, ‘The last thing I’d ever do is give myself a pardon.’”

The Internet’s Response

News of Trump’s alleged intention to not pardon himself was shared across the internet, and, of course, nobody really believed him. In fact, a lot of people claimed that he’s likely only making a bid for the White House, so he can do just that.

Power and Influence

Others felt that Trump desires a second term because he craves power and influence. These individuals said that he would’ve likely run again even if he wasn’t facing criminal charges – but a lot of them admitted that it’s likely still a big motivator for him.

Stolen Elections and Conspiracy Theories

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Trump’s supporters popped up every now and then, and, of course, they shouted as loud as they could about stolen elections and other conspiracy theories. Some of them claimed that the former president is a man of his word and won’t pardon himself. Regardless, most of them seemed sure of his innocence.

Stopping the Investigations

Plenty of people theorized about the reasons behind Trump’s 2024 bid. One commenter wrote: “The only reason he is running is to keep himself out of jail. He thought that running would stop the investigations.”

The Ruin of the U.S.

Another individual said: “He only wants to be president to get out of the trouble he’s in, for the power to inflict his vengeance, and the money he can put in his pocket. Everyone knows this. It would be the ruin of this country.”

The Legality of a Self-Pardon

Others questioned the legality of presidents pardoning themselves. “Is self-pardon really a thing? I’d assume it would go against everything the Constitution tells us,” one person wrote. “Most likely, he can’t, though it has never been adjudicated,” another replied.

A Horrible Role Model

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One commenter expressed concerns about Trump’s influence on impressionable youth. They wrote: “So unnerving. Our young citizens see Trump make money through dishonest practices and many will follow. He is a horrible role model. He is why retail theft is so high. Our young see thievery as the way to success.”

A Joyous Day for America

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Others imagined the day Trump is sent to prison – and they longed for it. One person said: “The only reason Traitor Trump is trying to get back to the White House is to save himself from prison. It’s coming and what a joyous day it will be for America.”

A Wannabe Dictator

People simply didn’t believe Trump’s claim of having no intention to pardon himself. “Don’t believe him for a second. He wants in the White House to try and pardon himself and benefit from being a dictator! It’s crystal clear,” one individual commented.

It’ll Be Unconstitutional

Another person wrote: “Trump obviously plans on attempting to pardon himself. He won’t though. Even if he’s elected, which he won’t be, he would never be able to because I’m sure it’ll be found to be unconstitutional.”

A MAGA Opinion

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Trump’s fans disagreed with the aforementioned commenters. One wrote: “President Trump will not need to pardon himself because President Trump will not be convicted because President Trump is innocent. Unlike election-stealing Crooked Joe Biden!”