{"id":1954819,"date":"2023-06-22T21:23:01","date_gmt":"2023-06-23T01:23:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/op-ed-guilt-by-communication-in-talk-of-trump-pardon\/"},"modified":"2023-06-22T21:25:17","modified_gmt":"2023-06-23T01:25:17","slug":"op-ed-guilt-by-communication-in-talk-of-trump-pardon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/op-ed-guilt-by-communication-in-talk-of-trump-pardon\/","title":{"rendered":"Op-Ed: Trump Pardon Talk Fuels Guilt by Association"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">16<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fop-ed-guilt-by-communication-in-talk-of-trump-pardon%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1954819&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>Guilt by Communication in Talk of Trump Pardon<\/h2>\n<p>We all know that a matador waves a red cape at a bull to enrage it into charging the heroic bullfighter.<\/p>\n<p>What we <em>should<\/em> know is that all bulls are <a href=\"https:\/\/www.livescience.com\/33700-bulls-charge-red.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">color-blind<\/a> to red, and thus the color of the fabric doesn\u2019t influence their <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/texas-rep-lee-under-fire-for-restrictive-gun-control-policies\/\" title=\"Texas Rep. Lee under fire for restrictive gun control policies\">emotional state<\/a>. It\u2019s the movement of the cape that induces the bull to charge, meaning the cape could be heliotrope for all the bull cares.<\/p>\n<p>By repetitio\u200bn, a myth has become \u201cfact.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>So, too, is the case when conservative pundits, talking heads and the media in general ask Republican presidential candidates if they would pardon Donald Trump should he be convicted of the crimes of which he has been accused.<\/p>\n<p>The question, by repetition, creates the idea that the former president\u2019s guilt is already established. Repeatedly asking it suggests that a guilty verdict is inevitable, and thus a pardon necessary.<\/p>\n<p>This question, like the red cape, is being waved by media toreadors for the purposes of eliciting a charge from Trump\u2019s rivals in the Republican primary race.<\/p>\n<p>To date, GOP hopefuls including former U.N. Ambassador <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/gop-candidates-asked-pardon-trump-stand\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Nikki Haley<\/a> and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy have gone on the record to say they would issue such a pardon or would be inclined to do so.<\/p>\n<p>Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has said he would consider it.<\/p>\n<p>The saintly Mike Pence, Trump\u2019s former <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/hunter-biden-defector-emails-pipeline-to-obama-admin-seen-as-currency\/\" title=\"Hunter Biden Defector Emails: 'Pipeline' to Obama Admin Seen as 'Currency'\">vice president<\/a>, couldn\u2019t find the nerve to agree to the pardon scenario. To be fair, I\u2019m not sure Mr. Pence has the nerve to cross a deserted street against the light.<\/p>\n<p>In creating this litmus test question, these inquisitors are embedding in the public\u2019s mind the idea that the charges against Trump \u2014 either Alvin Bragg\u2019s New York indictment or Jack Smith\u2019s D.C. version \u2014 are legitimate.<\/p>\n<p>Worse yet, the repetition can lead to an intellectualized conclusion that Trump is in fact guilty.<\/p>\n<p>Similarly, 2008 GOP vice presidential candidate <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/sarah-palin-says-fox-news-canceled-spoke-mind-network-newsmax\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Sarah Palin<\/a> was quoted as saying, \u201cI can see Russia from my house.\u201d This quote became the mainstream media\u2019s method of portraying the former Alaska governor as ignorant. Repeated incessantly on the airwaves its authenticity was rarely questioned.<\/p>\n<p>The problem is, she never said it.<\/p>\n<p>It was actor Tina Fey, portraying Palin in a \u201cSaturday Night Live\u201d sketch, who uttered that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/op-ed-guilt-by-communication-in-talk-of-trump-pardon\/\" title=\"Op-Ed: Trump Pardon Talk Fuels Guilt by Association\">quote-worthy line<\/a>. It\u2019s another case of myth becoming fact by repeated retelling as though it were true.<\/p>\n<p>The \u201cpardon\u201d question, as it regards Trump, will result in the same outcome. A clearly false premise becomes the basis of broad public opinion. Does anyone remember the Russia hoax?<\/p>\n<p>Whether it be by conservative hosts or progressive mouthpieces, this question has become a way of demonstrating the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/jd-vance-takes-lead-in-ohio-senate-republican-primary\/\" title=\"JD Vance Takes Lead in Ohio Senate Republican Primary\">political bona fides<\/a> of Trump\u2019s Republican opponents. These candidates, by agreeing to the pardon scenario, are attempting to woo Trump supporters.<\/p>\n<p>Now, that\u2019s weird. Why would anyone support a candidate whose principal claim to your vote is their willingness to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/psaki-hits-trump-possible-jan-6-pardons-ignores-fact-doj-gave-rioters-pass-hundreds-times\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">pardon<\/a> the candidate you support?<\/p>\n<p>Even worse, why would anyone support someone whose acquiescence to pardoning Trump implies that the charges he faces are legitimate? The pardoning proposed by these candidates suggests that the weaponization of the DOJ against the former president, if not OK, is an accepted standard of federal conduct.<\/p>\n<p>The proper way to discuss the issue, and a way that will not facilitate the evolution of Trump\u2019s presumed guilt from myth to fact, is to reject the premise of the inquiry.<\/p>\n<p>Here is my suggestion on how to address the issue. If asked I would respond as follows:<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe indictments against Trump are politically motivated, unfounded in the law, and illegitimate. No finding of guilt can occur where no crime has been committed. It\u2019s reckless to discuss pardons where the charges are baseless and where the actions of government agents are unjustifiable.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>On second thought, let\u2019s take a cue from the bullfighting professionals. If\u200b asked the pardon question, answer, \u201cOl\u00e9.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The post <a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/op-ed-guilt-communication-talk-trump-pardon\/\">Op-Ed: Guilt by Communication in Talk of Trump Pardon<\/a> appeared first on <a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\">The Western Journal<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The misconception is that a matador uses a red cape to provoke a bull. However, bulls are color-blind to red, so the fabric&#8217;s color has no impact on their emotions. Instead, it is the movement of the cape that triggers the bull&#8217;s response towards the brave bullfighter.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2077,"featured_media":1954821,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[548],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1954819","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-conservative-news-daily"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1954819","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2077"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1954819"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1954819\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1954821"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1954819"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1954819"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1954819"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}