Trump Issues Pardons And Clemency For Phone Calls, Tax Fraud, And Corruption – Day That Was | MSNBC

President Donald Trump issued nearly a dozen pardons and commutations on Tuesday, many for crimes of which he stands accused. One recipient of clemency, former Illinois governor and 'Celebrity Apprentice' contestant Rod Blagojevich, had been sentenced to 14 years in prison for trying to solicit bribes in exchange for President Obama's former Senate seat. Former NYC police commissioner and Giuliani associate Bernard Kerik received a pardon after serving a 4-year sentence in prison for 8 felonies, including tax fraud. Former San Francisco 49ers owner Eddie DeBartolo Jr. was pardoned of a decades-old corruption charge. Aired on 2/18/20.
Β» Subscribe to MSNBC:

MSNBC delivers breaking news, in-depth analysis of politics headlines, as well as commentary and informed perspectives. Find video clips and segments from The Rachel Maddow Show, Morning Joe, Meet the Press Daily, The Beat with Ari Melber, Deadline: White House with Nicolle Wallace, Hardball, All In, Last Word, 11th Hour, and more.

Connect with MSNBC Online
Visit msnbc.com:
Subscribe to MSNBC Newsletter:
Find MSNBC on Facebook:
Follow MSNBC on Twitter:
Follow MSNBC on Instagram:

Trump Issues Pardons And Clemency For Phone Calls, Tax Fraud, And Corruption – Day That Was | MSNBC

85 comments

  1. What do you expect from a person who has so little regard for truth? He himself has no regard for truth and honesty, so why would anyone expect him to behave in an honorable manner. What I don’t understand is how his supporters can still turn a blind eye to this man’s wicked ways. This man is pure evil…

    1. @J Again as long as someone is rich white and republican they can do no wrong but be black and democrate and you are automatically a corrupt thug. JUST SAY IT you are a proud racist. Its trump era!!!!!!! You scared?

    2. Because they only watch “foxnews”. I’ve tried watching and it’s like they’re living in a different America. It’s kinda scary.

    3. @n smith No we don’t as you should pull your own weight just like us. Black or white or anything in between. You don’t have to be a republican to have common since.

    4. @n smith So what if your a black republican soaking up Trump benefits? That cover the majority of other black people I know. Good to see less blacks dependable on government assistance!! Sad to see you left behind.

  2. Trump isn’t draining the swamp, he’s pardoning the swamp, for his own benefit.
    But I was really glad that Blagojevich brought up Trump’s passionate sense of justice for people of color. πŸ˜†
    In June 2019, Trump said that he would not apologize for his harsh comments in 1989 about the Central Park Five, the five black and Latino teenagers who were wrongly convicted in NY.

    More than a decade after the exoneration of the five teens, Trump indicated in an interview just last year, that he still doesn’t accept their innocence. Nor does he think he owes them an apology for publicly calling for their executions.

    The teenagers were exonerated by DNA evidence and a confession from the true perpetrator in 2002, 13 years after they were vilified by prosecutors and in the press after being charged and convicted.

    On May 1, 1989, as the case was headed to trial, Trump spent $85,000 placingΒ a full-page adΒ in four newspapers, calling for the young men accused of the crime to be executed.

    β€œBRING BACK THE DEATH PENALTY. BRING BACK OUR POLICE!” the ad proclaimed in enormous capital letters. Below, in smaller text, Trump ranted, β€œI want to hate these murderers and I always will. I am not looking to psychoanalyze or understand them, I am looking to punish them.”

    The Central Park Five have now been found innocent, after serving 7 to 13 years in prison for a crime they didn’t commit. But just last year, Trump stated that he still doesn’t accept their innocence. Nor does he think he owes them an apology for publicly calling for their executions. So Trump doesn’t feel that they were treated unfairly at all, even though they were innocent. Blagojevich however, is very much guilty as charged. But in Trump’s diseased mind, Blagojevich is the victim, and was somehow treated unfairly, but the Central Park Five weren’t. 😲

    As Governor, Blagojevich tried to sell a seat in the Senate to the highest bidder, like hawking a stolen television off the back of a truck.Β  Blagojevich was also convicted of extorting a children’s hospital. Blagojevich tried to take back an $8 million contribution the state made to Children’s Memorial Hospital, because the hospital’s CEO would not make a campaign donation to the governor. Now let that sink in for a moment.

    That sounds exactly like something that Trump would do. After all, Trump was caught operating a fake charity foundation for his own financial gain.

    1. @Dorian Shades of gray ….. Meanwhile, all others sitting in prisons all over the US for “non-violent crimes” need to just …… deal with it.

  3. Trump: “I’m allowed to be involved in any criminal case. I can do whatever I want. I’m actually like the chief law enforcement officer. Some people even say that I’m sort of like God in a way.”

    The Trump name will forever be synonymous with corruption. Trump is now the gold standard by which all corruption will be measured by.

    1. @DD Of course he can! Have you not been watching the news? Is there something you don’t understand about the president’s behavior condoned by those in power in Congress and our court system that has no power to contain the criminal activities of criminal politicians?

    2. @True Republican you didn’t understand my question I see. what i’m asking is in your eyes is it alright for the president to act in this way ? Regardless of his political party

    3. @on the outside looking in Alex Jones knows what’s going on, and his guests are people in the know. It’s why they want him silent, but it’s actually having the Streisand effect. Independent Media for Real News banned.video brighteon.com censored.news

    1. @honey badger of the truth That’s kind of blasphemous.. You pray for God to smite the ones you don’t like because some news channel told you what to think? God and I both know you are much better then this.

    1. Trump said he could murder and wouldn’t loose a vote…
      He and his flock of sheep and the GOP draw the line in loyalty. If you are loyal, you can commit crimes.

    2. @Enea A. I don’t think that Trump was wiling to take the chance on Jeff staying silent, he knew and saw too much for Trumps comfort. He had Epstein eliminated for that reason, dead men tell no tales.

  4. The KING MAGA-T is setting the scene to pardon his mates…Total & absolute abuse of power & law, corruption at the highest level…Pure Filth

    1. @J Just say it its trump era its okay for trump to do ANYTHING and say ANYTHING because hes white. Obama cant and wont be given the credit he desrves because hes black and no black man should be allowed to do ANYTHING even be president and do what presidents do because hes black. JUST SAY IT!!!!!!

    2. @OSKA Go google it for yourself and call public record a lie.. Simple minded demmy. Or wait edit – Will Peyton already googled it for you. There’s your handout for the day.

    3. @Vance Watley I think the real question is.. Why do you let Trump troll you so hard? You don’t even realize that living in a hole with nothing to show for your life aside from blind hate is exactly where he wants you to be. Job well done. Trump 2020!!

    4. OSKA PLEASE, Do Not Associate King…& Trump’s name, that is sacrilege, though he is a Crime Lord, a Liar and a piece of πŸ’©.πŸ‘ŽπŸΌπŸ‘Ή

  5. It’s an election year and King Donald has been ruthless and cruel, but now, he’s being “merciful” with his friends, to curry favor with his base. Yep… the US is out of control.

    1. You think whoever the puppet in office is actually matters? Fools. Trump 2024, 2028, 2032!! I’ll gladly watch you guys cry in blind hate for as long he lives! Your just as bad as he is – supporting his re-election with all this negative hate that only really draws more positive attention to his campaign. For shame.

  6. Oh wait, is that not abuse of power? I’m sure that was one of the articles of impeachment that the dumb GOP voted against and let this President still reside in the White House.

    1. Funny enough: it’s not. He actually has the pardon power, and there are no limits to it with two exceptions:
      (1) the president can only pardon federal crimes but not state crimes, and
      (2) theΒ presidentΒ can’t use theΒ pardon power to save himself or another official from impeachment.

    2. I don’t know. Is it? β€œObama holds the record for the largest single-day use of the clemency power, granting 330 commutations on January 19, 2017, his last full day in office.He also issued more commutations than the past 13 presidents combined.”
      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_people_granted_executive_clemency_by_Barack_Obama
      Under his administration criminals were never charged to begin with in a few cases, so they never required a pardon. Loretta Lynch’s meeting with Bill Clinton on the tarmac is one example that comes to mind.

    1. @Bud Fudlacker LOL what truths? the truths in trump tweets? the tweets that didn’t make sense to you? πŸ˜›

    2. @Bud Fudlacker how do truths that don’t make sense to you hurt me? trump cult’s brains hurting from trump’s truths only hurts his idiotic cult πŸ˜›

    3. @teretere vanakere I can not find the tweet! Not saying that is your fault but I scrolled through the comments and I cant make much of a statement on a comment I don’t remember.

    4. @Bud Fudlacker you’re like an old crooked record going hillary hillary hillary over and over. trump’s been clown president for 4 years and the only thing he’s been able to teach his brainless cult to chant is hillary hillary hillary πŸ˜›

    1. No, Trump is, first and foremost.
      Republican Senators gambled against America and won. They will be rewarded by their constituents with another 6-year term for their unswerving devotion to The Donald Trump Independent Party, or whatever name he decides to TradeMark alongside Make America Great Again – which he stole from Reagan.

    2. Yes, yes it’s not just
      dtrump it’s the Republicans theyare to blame..
      They are still madd about
      The Barack Obama’s Two
      Terms…… They wish the world would love trump
      Like we all love Obama…

    3. aree M ..Cocaine Mitch is more corrupt than gangsta-tRump..🎼bad boys bad boys what ya gonna do🎡🎡🎢🎡🎡

  7. It’s a waste of time arguing with people who defend the likes of Roger Stone, Paul Manafort, Mike Flynn and Rudy Giuliani. You can’t fix stupid.

    1. @John woos stranglehold fan Trump and MSNBC are both laughing at you at least for falling victim to years of trolling here. Keep up the good work!

    2. @J why is Michael Cohen in prison? He bribed women that slept with Don quiet. Why did Cohen get into trouble and Don didn’t? If that isn’t corruption I don’t know what is?

    1. WE GOTTA GET THE UNREGISTERED VOTERS TO COME OUT IN 2020. I KNOW A FEW THAT HAVE NEVER VOTED BEFORE OR NOT IN A VERY LONG TIME AND THEY HAVE ALREADY RECEIVED THEIR ABSENTEE BALLOTS IN MICHIGAN. WE ARE READY TO FIGHT THESE CRIMINALS. THIS PRESIDENT WANTS TO BE AN AUTOCRAT WHO IS ELECTED BY ILLEGAL MEANS, LIKE PUTIN. THAT IS WHAT COULD HAPPEN IF WE DO NOT STOP HIM RIGHT NOW. YOU WILL NEVER GET RID OF HIM. NEVER. HE IS FLIPPING ALL THE LEVERS TO STAY IN POWER, NO PRESIDENT HAS EVER MANIPULATED THE D.O.J TO STAY IN POWER. BARR HAS THREATENED AGAINST INVESTIGATING THE PRESIDENT WHO HAS SAID THAT HE PLANS TO CHEAT. THAT IS A BANANA REPUBLIC, WE DO NOT DO THAT IN THE USA UNTIL NOW. EXPECT CHEATING.

  8. This is not hard to fix.
    1. The Bar association HAS to disbar Barr. Then he can no longer practice Law. Then Impeach him. That would take away Trumps’ ace protection card.
    2. Get Trump’s academic records so he can be seen as a failure and not as smart as he says he is. America must begin to laugh at Trump. The rest of the world already does.
    3. Get his financial and tax records and make them available to the world. He must be seen in America as the thug and crook the rest of the world knows him to be.
    4. Subpoena Bolton to appear before Congress and jail him if he does not. Seize his book manuscript and put it out online to eliminate Bolton’s profit from it.
    5. Take Giuliani to the cleaners for everything that even smells like a breach of the law. Take away his legal practise license.

    1. He controls the IRS and more than ever now that he’s been acquitted. He’s shown countless times he’s above the law. He sent his goons to hide his grades and threats to anyone trying to release them. So sadly it’s not that easy.

    2. As the other person already addressed, he’s already made most of those impossible – the only thing that can and SHOULD happen is number 1. But he’d probably just replace Barr with someone that would do the exact same thing. Regardless, Barr NEEDS to lose his license.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.