LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – Now that the 2024 presidential election is heating up with more candidates stepping into the race, they are being asked about where they stand on pardoning former President Trump should they win the presidential election during a time when the former president could be convicted of one or more federal charges.

With Trump under investigation for several things including the improper retention of government documents after leaving office and his involvement in inciting the January 6th Capitol riot in 2021, Florida Governor and presidential candidate Republican Ron DeSantis was asked by talk-show host Clay Travis on The Clay Travis & Buck Sexton Show if he would look at potentially pardoning Trump or any of the January 6th rioters.

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DeSantis sidestepped the question and didn’t mention Trump directly but said, “On day one, I will have folks that will get together and look at all these cases, who people are victims of weaponization or political targeting, and we will be aggressive in issuing pardons.” He added, “I would say any example of disfavored treatment based on politics, or weaponization would be included in that review, no matter how small or how big.”

After the DeSantis interview, Fox News’ Peter Doocy asked President Biden about pardoning Trump. He said to Biden, “Did you see that Ron DeSantis said that if he became president, he would pardon Trump?…Where are you on the idea of the president pardoning Trump?”

Biden is shown on video laughing at the question, raising his hand, turning away and saying, “I’ll see you guys…” Then he added, “That’s a great question” before hopping on a helicopter to Delaware.

However, answering the question more directly is Michigan businessman and presidential candidate Republican Perry Johnson, who sent out a tweet recently, showing the video of Biden’s response to the question. Perry said, “This is nothing to laugh about.  Donald Trump should be pardoned, and send a message that we won’t put up with political weaponization of law enforcement!”

Johnson had high hopes of running to be Michigan’s next governor last year but was unable to meet the threshold of getting enough valid signatures to be on the ballot. It was reported that only 13,800 of the needed 15,000 valid signatures were submitted.

Presidential candidate and former UN Ambassador Republican Nikki Haley hasn’t expressed an opinion on the matter of pardoning Trump or any of the January 6th rioters although she said in Iowa recently that it was a “terrible day” and anyone caught breaking the law “should pay the price.”

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Republican presidential candidate and South Carolina Senator Tim Scott hasn’t expressed a public opinion on the pardoning of Trump but back in December of 2020, Trump pardoned Scott’s cousin on a drug charge. Scott’s cousin, Otis Gordon, had been convicted in 1991 of conspiracy to distribute drugs. It was his first conviction and Scott said in his request to the president that his cousin had been a “model citizen” since being released from prison in 1997. Gordon became a pastor and Scott said he became “focused on helping young men avoid the same traps he once fell into.” Scott went on to say that he believes Gordon was an “excellent candidate for a pardon.”

All declared presidential candidates were contacted for this article for their position on pardoning former President Trump if the option was available to them, but none of them responded to our request for comment by the time this story was published.