Pardon Me?

Trump bestows another get out of jail free card

Disgraced former general and national security advisor Michael Flynn has now been pardoned by Trump after running afoul of Mueller during his investigation into Russian meddling and obstruction of justice. Flynn twice plead guilty to lying to the FBI, but eventually reversed course and tried to withdraw his plea. In what many saw as a political move, Barr and the Justice Department also sought to have his plea overturned, claiming Flynn was unfairly prosecuted and should not be sentenced. Unfortunately for the Trump Administration, the judge overseeing the case didn't buy it, and was conducting a review of whether the Justice Department's request was valid. Given the uncertainty the only way left for Trump to ensure his lackey didn't go to jail was to grant a pardon. 

He did the right thing and saved a persecuted man from jail

Many conservative outlets immediately praised the move. Most had been pushing the narrative that Flynn was just the victim of overzealous prosecutors in the Mueller probe just looking to get a win and prove their investigation was valid. It is no surprise, then, to see Breibart praising the move. Quoting Alan Dershowitz, Breibart claims that Flynn's pardon was "absolutely" the right thing to do.

This is just another example of Trump's corruption

Several other outlets, including The Atlantic and the San Francisco Chronicle, viewed the move as an example of Trump trying to cover up his own misdeeds. They see it as the president rewarding corrupt officials who actively impeded the Mueller investigation and are now being spared from the consequences of their actions. As evidence they point to the commutation of Roger Stone, another victim of the Mueller probe who was an avid Trump supporter. 

Many see Flynn's pardon as just the beginning, and expect Trump to issue a number of pardons during the lame duck portion of his presidency, including potentially trying to pardon himself.