Tulsi Gabbard Presses For Other Pardons

Rep. Tulsi Gabbard – Democrat of Hawaii, who did not run for reelection, was the candidate who sunk Kamala Harris’ presidential ambitions. So perhaps now is a good time for her to get out of Washington.

The extremely telegenic US Army combat officer never seemed quite at home in the Democrat Party. She is no conservative. But her tendency to spar with Harris and Hillary Clinton, her military record, her visage and demeanor, suggest a person who is a sensible patriot. Which, of course, precludes her from leadership in the Democrat Party. Perhaps that is why she is retiring. However, she still has some fight left in her.

Gabbard Calls For More Pardons

FNC: “…Gabbard has called on President Trump to pardon National Security Agency (NSA) whistleblower Edward Snowden and WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange before the president leaves office on Jan. 20, according to a report. In a tweet the retiring Hawaii Democrat suggested that Trump use his presidential pardoning authority to grant clemency to both men, each of whom has been charged under the Espionage Act of 1917, Newsweek reported.”

‘Since you’re giving pardons to people, please consider pardoning those who, at great personal sacrifice, exposed the deception and criminality of those in the deep state,’ Gabbard tweeted on Thursday, tagging President Trump.” That is a Democrat using the term “deep state.” That is not something you see every day.

In an earlier tweet she said, “Brave whistleblowers exposing lies & illegal actions in our government must be protected. Join me and urge Congress: Pass my bipartisan legislation (HRes1162, HRes1175, HR8452) calling for charges against @snowden & Assange to be dropped & to reform the Espionage Act.”

.@realDonaldTrump Since you're giving pardons to people, please consider pardoning those who, at great personal sacrifice, exposed the deception and criminality of those in the deep state. https://t.co/aeXklUsNSd

— Tulsi Gabbard 🌺 (@TulsiGabbard) November 26, 2020

Will These Pardons Happen?

The case of both men is controversial in conservative circles. Libertarian conservatives see both as heroes, exposing government corruption, Big Tech manipulations, and establishment intrigues. National security conservatives see them as traitors, providing sensitive American data to our potential enemies. The fact that Snowden lives in Russia, he has for some time, and has likely been thoroughly debriefed by FSB officers does not help his case.

But the president knows what it’s like to be targeted by the establishment and Big Tech. He is also a national security maverick, pulling America out of meaningless conflicts and refusing to fund the defenses of allied nations at the expense of the American taxpayer.

So their case and Gabbard’s plea may not be dismissed out of hand. It would gain the president points with young voters, the foreign press, and libertarians of all stripes.

Now, the president is not a leader who does things for the popularity of them. In fact, many times it seems the opposite. But if he is considering a 2024 run, and he is, this would not be a bad way to reach out to diverse constituencies in anticipation of Trump 2024 ramp up just after the 2022 midterms. Thus, these pardons are definitely not out of the realm of possibility.

This piece was written by David Kamioner on November 27, 2020. It originally appeared in LifeZette and is used by permission.