Trump Considers Pardons For Michigan Governor Plot
Donald Trump has granted over 1,500 pardons and commutations since taking office, including those charged or convicted in the January 6 Capitol attack, and most recently on Tuesday, reality TV stars Todd and Julie Chrisley, who were convicted in 2022 of bank fraud and tax evasion.
Now, on Wednesday, Trump said he would "take a look" at pardons for the men convicted in a plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.
"I'm gonna look at it. I will take a look at it. It's been brought to my attention," he said at the Oval Office after a reporter asked if he would pardon the individuals. He then cast doubt on the fairness of the convictions.
"I did watch the trial. It looked to me like somewhat of a railroad job, I'll be honest with you," he said. "It looked to me like some people said some stupid things. They were drinking, and I think they said stupid things, but I'll take a look at that."
"A lot of people are asking me that question, from both sides, actually. A lot of people think they got railroaded," he continued before moving on to another question.
For context, 14 men were charged in an alleged domestic terrorism plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat, as part of a broader plan to overthrow the government. The group intended to kidnap Gov. Whitmer from her vacation home before the 2020 presidential election and hold a mock "treason" trial in response to her pandemic lockdown orders. They also plotted to detonate a bomb to distract law enforcement during the operation. FBI thwarted the plan before it could be carried out.
Of the 14 men, 9 were convicted. Key figure Adam Fox was sentenced to 16 years in prison, while his co-conspirator, Barry Croft Jr. of Delaware, received the longest sentence: over 19 years. Some received sentences ranging from a few years to over a decade, while several pleaded guilty and cooperated with prosecutors. Others were acquitted or had charges dropped.
Trump's recent pardons, along with his openness to reviewing potential pardons for those convicted in the Whitmer kidnapping plot, have sparked outrage and disbelief:
"nothing says 'totally innocent' like casually plotting to kidnap a governor while drinking. Just locker room treason, right? Maybe next week we'll hear him say Watergate was just a bunch of 'silly boys doing pranks,'" one person wrote.
"Trump's downplaying a plot to kidnap a sitting governor— Calls it 'stupid talk' over drinks. This isn't leadership. It's mafia logic. He's not reviewing justice. He's flirting with terrorism," another said.
"So if someone were to say they wished to plan an attack on the White House or plan to physically harm a Republican politician, it's ok as long as you're drunk?" someone else asked.
"Disgusting abuse of power," another wrote.
Of course, not everyone was outraged. Some echoed Trump's skepticism, promoting the conspiracy theory that the kidnapping plot was a setup "orchestrated by the FBI." But there is no legal or factual basis to support the idea that these men were wrongfully convicted.
Multiple juries, across both state and federal trials, found overwhelming evidence of a coordinated domestic terrorism plot, including surveillance footage, audio recordings, weapons stockpiles, and detailed plans to kidnap Gov. Whitmer. The defendants had surveilled her home, constructed explosives, and were caught on tape discussing the abduction. While the FBI did use informants, which is standard practice in terrorism investigations, courts rejected the defense's entrapment claims, ruling that the suspects were not coerced, but that they were willing participants.
Well, I personally can't imagine a world where it's OK to pardon individuals who were convicted of plotting to kidnap a state governor, but maybe that's just me?
Let us know your thoughts down in the comments.
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