Donald Trump’s seemingly daily pardons of controversial figures are causing headaches for members of his own party who are not only finding them hard to defend, but also complicating their jobs.
The spate of pardons, from a drug trafficking foreign leader to disgraced U.S. lawmakers from both sides of the aisle, has GOP lawmakers openly pointing out that restraining Trump is out of their hands while suggesting limits need to be put in place.
According to a report from Riley Rogerson from NOTUS, House Oversight Chair James Comer (R-KY) is finding himself in a difficult spot as he pursues former President Joe Biden over his “autopen” pardonsthat have become a talking point for Trump.
Speaking with NOTUS, the Kentucky Republican admitted the pardons of Reps. George Santos (R-NY) and Henry Cuellar (D-TX), along with former Honduran president Orlando Hernández, do not meet with his approval.
“I wouldn’t have pardoned those people,” he stated before conceding, “But I’m not president.”
According to Rogerson, “Few Republican lawmakers were eager to offer NOTUS a full-throated endorsement of Trump’s pardons, instead throwing up their hands to say the pardons are, simply, out of Congress’ control.”
Senate Judiciary Committee member Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) is admitting defeat, explaining, “There’s nothing I can do about it. The people are already pardoned. I’m trying to spend my time on things I can do something about.”
Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY) called the pardon of former New York GOP delegation colleague Santos the “wrong decision” with NOTUS reporting that the disgraced ex-lawmaker is still allowed “unfettered access to mingle on the House floor” by virtue of sporting his old member pin.
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