Letters to the Editor: Trump won’t have to self-pardon if he resigns and lets Mike Pence take over

To the editor: If and when President Trump realizes he has lost the election, he will be faced with the decision of how to pardon himself. As columnist Harry Litman outlines, his ability to self-pardon is questionable.

A winning strategy for all would be for Trump to pardon the family and friends he wishes to, then resign and have Vice President Mike Pence pardon him.

Everyone would win. Trump would get an unquestionable pardon for potential federal offenses, avoid the embarrassment of attending the inauguration, and give Pence a boost with his supporters. Most importantly, this would spare President-elect Joe Biden the decision on whether to allow the Justice Department to pursue an indictment, something that would anger the Republicans and make compromise more difficult.

For those who want to see Trump in stripes, there are potential state charges for which he cannot be pardoned.

Arthur L. Wisot, Rolling Hills Estates

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To the editor: It’s all well and good that Biden strikes a conciliatory tone, but it leaves the elephant in the parlor — what to do about Trump.

The multiple scenarios are intriguing. It’s a given that Trump is in deep legal jeopardy.

Putting aside the “self-pardon” card, Trump has hinted that maybe he “will have to leave the country.” Of course he could resign before his term runs out and be pardoned by Pence.

More than 70 million people voted for Trump to have a second term. He can continue inflicting damage on this nation by waging a 2024 comeback campaign or continuing to play the martyr. So, the best outcome would be if he retreated.

In this way his core constituents would finally be able to do the soul-searching they might otherwise have avoided.

Tom Tomeoni, Thousand Oaks