Senator Tim Scott (R., S.C.) on Sunday declined to say whether he would pardon Donald Trump if the former president was convicted on federal charges in the classified documents case and Scott was elected president.
“I’m not going to deal with the hypotheticals, but I will say that every American is innocent until proven guilty,” Scott said during an appearance on Fox News Sunday.
Trump pleaded not guilty to 37 felony counts in connection with his alleged mishandling of classified documents on Tuesday afternoon in a Miami, Fla., federal court.
Those counts include willful retention of national-defense information, conspiracy to obstruct justice, withholding a document or record, corruptly concealing a document or record, concealing a document in a federal investigation, scheme to conceal, and making false statements and representations.
Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy said he sent a letter to every presidential contender last week urging them to commit to pardoning Trump if he is convicted.
“Each of our paths to electoral success would be easier if President Trump were eliminated from competition, but that is the wrong result for our country. The fact that we are running against Trump gives us credibility to denounce this politicized prosecution,” Ramaswamy wrote.
“I condemn these charges by the U.S. Department of Justice. Below, I have signed a commitment to pardon President Trump promptly on January 20, 2025, for the federal charges … I respectfully request that you join me in this commitment or else publicly explain why you will not,” he added.
Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley said she’d be “inclined in favor of a pardon” for former president Donald Trump if he were convicted on federal charges in the classified documents case, saying the issue is “less about guilt and more about what’s good for the country.”
“And I think it would be terrible for the country to have a former president in prison for years because of a documents case,” Haley said during an appearance on the Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show. “That’s something you’ve seen in a third world country. I saw that at the United Nations. So I would be inclined in favor of a pardon. But I think it’s really premature at this point when he’s not even been convicted of anything.”
Republican presidential candidate Asa Hutchinson took a different approach and called on Trump to drop out of the race.
Meanwhile, Scott on Sunday vowed to “clean out” the Justice Department, if elected.
“We have to clean out the political appointments in the Department of Justice to restore competence and integrity in the DOJ today, we want to know that in our justice system, Lady Justice wears a blindfold and all Americans will be treated fairly by Lady Justice,” Scott said. “But today, this DOJ continues to hunt Republicans while they protect Democrats.”
Host Shannon Bream noted Scott is far behind in the polls for the GOP primary, leading Scott to says his numbers and climbing and voters are “responding incredibly positive to the message of open opportunity.”
“As long as we talk about it from a conservative perspective. I’m the most conservative person in the race of president,” he said.