Political outsider and GOP presidential hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy is calling on all of his 2024 competitors — Republicans and Democrats — to commit to pardoning former President Donald Trump should he be convicted of the federal classified documents charges against him.
On the same day Trump faced his arraignment in the 37-count indictment, Ramaswamy held a press conference from the same Miami courthouse where the former president was to briefly appear.
Special Counsel Jack Smith, appointed by Attorney General Merrick Garland, alleges Trump kept classified documents, including military and national security information, at his Florida home and that he “endeavored to obstruct the FBI and grand jury investigations and conceal his continued retention of classified documents.”
Trump said he is not guilty of the charges and that the indictment is the latest in a long line of “witch hunts” driven by his political enemies.
The Vivek 2024 campaign overnight-mailed and emailed signed commitment letters to every 2024 presidential challenger asking them to join the Ohio businessman and anti-woke crusader in committing to pardon Trump “for these federal charges and to offer public explanation upon refusal.”
“The use of police force by a sitting U.S. President against his chief political rival in the midst of a presidential election sets a dangerous precedent in our country. No one is above the law: the U.S. President shouldn’t be able to use the federal police to arrest his opponents,” Ramaswamy said. “No one should be below the law either, yet there are now two standards of justice depending on your political viewpoints. That’s the single greatest threat to our constitutional republic today.”
At the press conference, Ramaswamy said, “America is not a country where the party in power is able to use police force to arrest its political opponents.” That’s the stuff of banana republics, he said.
I challenge every US Presidential candidate to join me in standing for TRUTH. Commit to pardon Donald Trump for these federal charges on Day 1, or explain why you won’t. No one should hide. Not Biden. Not DeSantis. Not Haley. Not Pence. Not RFK. Not Scott. Not anyone. Principles… pic.twitter.com/qYP3fUrE5R
— Vivek Ramaswamy (@VivekGRamaswamy) June 13, 2023
The multimillionaire candidate, who has self-funded much of his campaign, acknowledged it’s going to be difficult for his opponents to sign his letter committing to pardon Trump. Ramaswamy said the “donor class” has been calling every Republican candidate and telling them to “stay away” from the Trump indictment.
“I refuse to abide by being a disciple of the donor class,” he said. “I think we need to declare independence from our donor class in the Republican Party.”
Ramaswamy’s press conference came a day after he announced that his campaign had filed a Freedom of Information Act request to uncover communications between the White House, Garland, and Smith, the special prosecutor behind the latest indictment against Trump.
As of early Tuesday afternoon, no presidential candidate had commented on Ramaswamy’s letter.
Republican Party contenders appear divided on the Trump indictment, many agreeing it’s politically motivated but bashing the GOP front-runner at the same time.
“This is what I’ll tell you, two things can be true at the same time: One, the DOJ and FBI have lost all credibility with the American people, and getting rid of just senior management isn’t going to be enough to fix this. This is going to take a complete overhaul, and we have to do that,” former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley said Monday on Fox News.
“Two, the second thing can also be true. If this indictment is true, if what it says is actually the case, President Trump was incredibly reckless with our national security,” Haley, who served as Trump’s U.N. secretary, said.
Watch Ramasway’s remarks:
Read Ramaswamy’s pledge:
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M.D. Kittle is the National Political Editor for The Star News Network.
Photo “Vivek Ramaswamy Press Conference” by NTD.
