Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

We Now Know Where Donald Trump Got His Idea to Pardon a War Criminal, and It's So on Brand It Hurts

We Now Know Where Donald Trump Got His Idea to Pardon a War Criminal, and It's So on Brand It Hurts
WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 03: U.S. President Donald Trump talks to reporters while hosting Slovak Republic Prime Minister Peter Pellegrini in the Oval Office at the White House May 03, 2019 in Washington, DC. Pellegrini's visit is part of the Trump Administration's larger diplomatic attempt to compete with Moscow and Beijing in Central Europe. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Classic.

If you're wondering why President Donald Trump is planning to pardon three alleged war criminals, you likely have Fox & Friends host Pete Hegseth to thank.

Two days ago, the New York Times reported that "the Trump administration had made expedited requests this week for paperwork needed to pardon the troops on or around Memorial Day." Those troops include Special Operations Chief Edward Gallagher of the Navy SEALs, who has been accused of shooting unarmed civilians - including a young girl - and murdering a suspected Al Qaeda prisoner.


Now it's come to light that the Fox & Friends host Pete Hegseth has been lobbying the president to pardon Gallagher and two other alleged war criminals because it would be "heartening for guys like me and others in the service."

Hegseth has defended the accused war criminals on air during his show, calling them "good guys" and making no secret of the fact that he believes they should be pardoned.

But he never disclosed that he was actively advising the president. The Daily Beast reported that Hegseth has been lobbying the president since as early as January to let Gallagher go to trial for his crimes, and sources say that since at least March Hegseth "has specifically advised Trump to pardon him and the other men."

In March, Trump tweeted that "in honor of his past service to our Country, Gallagher would be "moved to less restrictive confinement" as he awaited his trial.

&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.usatoday.com%2Fstory%2Fnews%2Fpolitics%2F2019%2F05%2F20%2Ftrump-pardons-war-crime-cases%2F3732814002%2F

The expedited paperwork suggests that the president is planning a full pardon on or around Memorial Day, a holiday that commemorates people who have died in the service of our country.

Hegseth, himself a veteran, believes that Gallagher and others have been treated unfairly. "These guys make tough calls in moments for most people have never been a part of in their life," Hegseth was quoted as saying, "and then folks in suits in Washington, D.C., they throw paper at them and accuse them of things."

Fox News shouldn't have the president's ear when it comes to pardoning criminals. Let them await trial before deciding their fate based on a news channel.

More from News

Jasmine Crockett; Donald Trump
MSNBC; Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images

​Jasmine Crockett Epically Rips GOP With Blunt Comparison Of Trump And Abrego Garcia

During a Sunday appearance on MSNBC, Texas Democratic Representative Jasmine Crockett spoke about the administration of Republican President Donald Trump refusing to follow a court order.

In a case that went to the United States Supreme Court, Trump was ordered to facilitate Kilmar Abrego Garcia's release from the CECOT prison in El Salvador and to return him to the United States.

Keep ReadingShow less
Pete Hegseth
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Democrats' X Account Epically Shades Hegseth After He Slams Liberal 'Agenda'—And People Are Shook

The official X account for the Democrats called for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's firing amid revelations that Hegseth shared details about U.S. military operations in Yemen using his personal phone in a 13-person Signal group chat that included his wife and brother—despite a prior warning from an aide advising him not to share sensitive information over an unsecure channel ahead of the operation.

That news comes just weeks after Atlantic editor Jeffrey Goldberg reported that he was invited into a Signal chat with high-level Trump administration officials, particularly Hegseth and Vice President J.D. Vance, discussing military strategy surrounding war strikes in Yemen.

Keep ReadingShow less
Donald Trump
Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

Trump Slammed After Using Easter Message To Rage At 'Radical Left Lunatics'

President Donald Trump was criticized after he took to Truth Social to wish a "Happy Easter to all" before quickly switching gears to rage at the "radical leftists" that live in his head rent-free.

Trump's post accused leftists of "scheming" to allow dangerous people into the country, a criticism the White House has leveled against those who've condemned their refusal to bring wrongly-deported Maryland father Kilmar Abrego Garcia—who they claim is a "terrorist"— back to the U.S. from a notorious El Salvadoran prison.

Keep ReadingShow less
college graduates in caps and gowns
MD Duran on Unsplash

People Who Got A 'Useless' Degree Explain How Things Turned Out

With most of the student loan program being nothing more than a profit machine for predatory lenders, the focus on attaining a college degree has waned in the United States.

For the Boomers, a secondary education was still something aspirational that most people would never have access to.

Keep ReadingShow less
Drew Scott; Tom Welling on 'Smallville'
Jennifer Hudson Show/YouTube; The CW

'Property Brothers' Star Hilariously Reveals His Very Specific And NSFW Role On 'Smallville'

In need of a butt double? This looks like a job for...Property Brothers star Drew Scott, who revealed a very cheeky NSFW role on the hit CW series, Smallville.

The coming-of-age series featured Tom Welling, who played a Young Clark Kent discovering his powers before putting on the iconic red cape.

Keep ReadingShow less