Countdown to Donald Trumps Exit

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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump at this point is opting not to issue a pardon for himself as he prepares an expansive list of more than 100 pardons and commutations for release on Tuesday, a source familiar with the effort said.

White House advisers have said Trump has privately debated with advisers whether to take the extraordinary step of issuing a pardon for himself but some administration officials have cautioned Trump against a self-pardon because it would make him look guilty.

Many scholars have said a self-pardon would be unconstitutional because it violates the basic principle that nobody should be the judge in his or her own case.

Others have argued that a self-pardon is constitutional because the pardon power is very broadly worded in the Constitution. Historical texts made clear that the nation’s 18th century founders discussed self-pardons, but opted not to include an explicit limitation on that power.

Trump was impeached by the Democratic-led House of Representatives last week on charges of inciting the storming of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 by pro-Trump protesters. His case is to face a Senate trial and if convicted, he could be disqualified from seeking another run for the presidency in 2024.

The source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said so far Trump does not plan to pardon himself and also does not plan to issue pre-emptive pardons for members of his family, another subject he has discussed privately with advisers.

Trump, who has already issued two waves of pardons in the past month, met advisers on Sunday to finalize a list of more than 100 pardons and commutations, the source said.

CNN reported that Dr Salomon Melgen, a prominent eye doctor from Palm Beach who is in prison after being convicted on dozens of counts of health care fraud, is expected to be on the clemency list.

The source said the clemencies were expected to be issued on Trump’s last full day in office on Tuesday. Skipping the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden, Trump leaves on Wednesday morning to begin his post-presidency at his Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida. His presidency ends at noon on Wednesday.

 

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Biden plans to reverse Trump policies during first days in office

U.S. President-elect Joe Biden plans to sign dozens of executive orders and send sweeping bills to Congress in his first days in office, aiming to roll back some of Donald Trump’s signature policies on immigration and climate change while taking action to ramp up the government’s response to the coronavirus crisis.

Here is a list of what to expect, according to interviews with several of Biden’s advisers, a review of campaign promises and a recent memo by the president-elect’s incoming chief of staff Ron Klain.

COVID-19 CRISIS
* Seek a $1.9 trillion spending proposal aimed at accelerating the distribution of coronavirus vaccines while providing economic relief to millions of Americans hurt by the pandemic.
* Impose a mask-wearing requirement on all federal property, planes and buses.
* Extend relief on federal student loan payments and extend an eviction moratorium.
* Sign an executive order that helps schools and businesses reopen safely, expands coronavirus testing and establishes clearer public health standards.
*Direct federal agencies to take immediate action to deliver economic relief to working families bearing the brunt of the crisis.
* Return the United States to the World Health Organization. Trump withdrew from the agency, saying it failed to properly oversee the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

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CLIMATE
* Bring the United States back into the Paris Climate Agreement, the global pact forged five years ago among nearly 200 nations to avoid the worst impacts of climate change. Trump vowed in 2016 to pull the United States out of the agreement, making good on that promise in November 2020.
* Reimpose methane pollution limits for new and existing oil and gas operations repealed by Trump.
* Using the federal government procurement system – which spends $500 billion every year – to make facilities more reliant on clean energy and purchase zero-emissions vehicles.
* Ban new oil and gas permitting on public lands and waters, including the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
* Cancel the permit for the Keystone XL Pipeline, which would carry oil from Canada to the United States.

 

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IMMIGRATION
* Repeal the ban on almost all travel from some Muslim-majority countries.
* Send to Congress a sweeping immigration bill that could legalize millions of immigrants living in the United States without legal permission.
* Reinstate the program allowing “Dreamers,” people who were brought to the United States illegally as children, to remain in the country.
* Reverse Trump’s policy that separated immigrant parents from their children at the border, including ending the prosecution of parents for minor immigration violations, and prioritize the reunification of any children still separated from their families.
* Reverse Trump’s more restrictive asylum policies, such as imposing additional restrictions on anyone travelling through Mexico or Guatemala and attempting to prevent victims of gang and domestic violence from receiving asylum.
* End Trump’s National Emergency declaration that allowed him to shift federal funds from the Department of Defense to build a wall along the U.S. border with Mexico.
* Order an immediate review of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for vulnerable populations who cannot find safety in their countries ripped apart by violence or disaster.

 

[Sloane Ranger]

The inauguration of Joe Biden as the 46th president of the United States at noon on Wednesday, January 20, 2021 at 5pm GMT.

The day's events will be far more star-studded than Donald Trump's inauguration, which was headlined by country singers Toby Keith and Lee Greenwood. Among those participating Wednesday are pop superstars Lady Gaga and Jennifer Lopez, rock icon Bruce Springsteen and country superstar Garth Brooks.