I'm guessing this will be a new political tactic going forward. I'm sure they weren't all bad pardons, but I've feared it being used to excuse violence at some point. Especially with how fucking ridiculous our political environment is now.
Discussion
Indeed. Trump could have pardoned Ross the last term, but this term it helped him win the election. And after he did, Ross was on stage wearing a red tie in gratitude. It's his shtick—his power dynamic. Obama was not a saint in office, but commuted the sentence of Chelsea Manning as one of his last acts in office with no quid pro quo. And still years later, Edward Snowden is still in exile...
Snowden is an American tragedy. He never should have been in trouble for exposing anti-American nonsense.