Fox News host Geraldo Rivera was mocked online after he proposed a controversial plan to prevent former Republican President Donald Trump from seeking the presidency again.
Rivera suggested Democratic President Joe Biden should issue a pardon for Trump, potentially absolving him of federal obstruction charges and other legal issues.
However, Rivera's proposal comes with a condition.
Trump must pledge not to run for President in the future. The idea has sparked a debate among critics, who question the legality and implications of such a pardon.
In a post on Twitter, he wrote:
"Biden pardoning Trump-the way Ford pardoned Nixon- IS a good idea. This clemency to include inciting the violence of January 6th, the Mar-a-Lago documents case & any other federal allegation."
"Clemency would require a pledge by Trump that he will no longer seek the presidency."
You can see Rivera's tweet below.
\u201cBiden pardoning Trump-the way Ford pardoned Nixon- IS a good idea. This clemency to include inciting the violence of January 6th, the Mar-a-Lago documents case & any other federal allegation. \nClemency would require a pledge by Trump that he will no longer seek the presidency.\u201d— Geraldo Rivera (@Geraldo Rivera) 1685476108
Later, Rivera shared a video of Biden dismissing the idea of pardoning Trump. Rivera believes that a pardon, similar to President Gerald Ford's pardon of President Richard Nixon, would be a suitable course of action.
To stress this point, he wrote:
"Pardon Trump."
"It's a good idea."
You can see his tweet below.
\u201cPardon Trump\nIt\u2019s a good idea\u201d— Geraldo Rivera (@Geraldo Rivera) 1685396746
Rivera's proposal has received significant backlash, with critics arguing against the idea.
Many believe that Trump should face legal consequences for any crimes committed and that a pardon would undermine the principle of accountability.
Some critics also point out that President Ford's pardon of President Nixon, referenced by Rivera, set a troublesome precedent and was met with public disapproval.
\u201c@GeraldoRivera No. He deserves no mercy. Pardoning Nixon set this precedent that you can get away with it. Huge mistake. We need to go all in and teach these criminals that no one above the law. President included.\u201d— Geraldo Rivera (@Geraldo Rivera) 1685476108
\u201c@GeraldoRivera He deserves prison not a pardon.\u201d— Geraldo Rivera (@Geraldo Rivera) 1685476108
\u201c@GeraldoRivera There's absolutely nothing to pardon Trump for\u201d— Geraldo Rivera (@Geraldo Rivera) 1685476108
\u201c@GeraldoRivera BS the crimes were nowhere near the same. Trump needs a jail cell\u201d— Geraldo Rivera (@Geraldo Rivera) 1685476108
\u201c@GeraldoRivera No! Trump\u2019s influence must be taken away.\u201d— Geraldo Rivera (@Geraldo Rivera) 1685476108
\u201c@GeraldoRivera Different times now, pardoning would be bad, Better idea is lock him up\u201d— Geraldo Rivera (@Geraldo Rivera) 1685476108
\u201c@GeraldoRivera @GeraldoRivera what better message to send to Trump (and those to follow) than he can incite a violent coup and steal classified documents with impunity. If you care about the future of this country, you won't continue to advocate for such an egregious travesty of justice.\u201d— Geraldo Rivera (@Geraldo Rivera) 1685476108
Trump has been under federal investigation since last year and has long denied he broke federal law regarding presidential documents he'd spirited away from the White House.
Trump's legal troubles erupted over the summer when he alerted the world the FBI executed a search warrant for his Mar-a-Lago estate. Sources said Trump was in possession of classified material—including nuclear secrets—that prompted the intelligence community to voice concerns about national security.
Afterward, Trump claimed he had the ability to declassify any and all documents or information by thinking it was declassified. His claim was widely disputed by experts who noted there is a specific federal process that must be adhered to before any information can be declassified and some categories of information cannot be declassified by even the President.
His claims were shut down by federal prosecutors who heard the explanation from Trump's attorneys, who made the ability to withhold documents from review critical to Trump's defense.
