Hours after Joe Biden was declared the U.S. president-elect, an article was published in the British newspaper the Independent arguing that, as “an act of mercy,” he should issue a presidential pardon for “a corrupt former commander-in-chief”: i.e., outgoing President Donald Trump. It’s a benevolent sentiment—admirable, even, in many ways—but ultimately, this wouldn’t be an act of mercy. It wouldn’t heal the United States, and it might even harm it much further.
Let me state from the outset: The idea of a compassionate, noble leader, triumphant in his victory, pardoning his erstwhile opponent isn’t an ignoble one. On the contrary, if Trump had insulted or harmed Biden personally, then Biden would most certainly be well advised to forgive him. There’s a long precedent for magnanimity, after all, in different political contexts, albeit with different results.
