What do you do when a petulant child asks you a ridiculous question that they already know the answer to, specifically to antagonize you? One good strategy is to ignore them and extricate yourself from the situation. And that’s pretty much what President Biden did on Memorial Day Monday in response to a question from Fox News’ Peter Doocy about whether or not he or another potential president would or should grant a pardon to former President Trump in the future. Here’s how it went down.
In a video clip showing the president answering a few questions from the White House Press Corps on Monday, Doocy, who is widely known as hostile to the Biden administration (because Fox News, duh), can be heard off-camera asking, “Did you see that Ron DeSantis said that if he became president, he would pardon Trump? Where are you on the idea of presidents pardoning Trump?”
And Biden, who has, in fact, been to several rodeos before this one, simply chucked a bit, turned around, waved, and said, “I’ll see you guys. Good question,” as he walked away. And that’s one way you respond to a supremely ill-intentioned and stupid question like a pro. A little sarcasm can go a long way.Â
Interestingly enough, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis did not say he would pardon Trump if he became president. According to reporting from HuffPost, during an interview on the rightwing podcast, “The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show,” Clay Travis asked DeSantis if he would revisit any of the convicted January 6 insurrectionists cases or pardon Trump if he is found guilty in the many federal cases in which he is a defendant.Â
Like a true presidential candidate, DeSantis did not give a clear answer about Trump or the rioters specifically, instead saying he would consider “any example of disfavored treatment” and that “he will have folks that will get together and look at all these cases … people [who] are victims of weaponization or political targeting, and we will be aggressive at issuing pardons.”
So, Doocy’s question was intended to antagonize, and its premise was incorrect. By smiling, walking away, and using a little light-hearted sarcasm, Biden dealt with it in pretty much the only way he could. But if it were me, I would have had a different answer because I have no shame. Following the bombshell lawsuit filed in early May claiming to have evidence that while he was in office, Trump and his lawyer Rudy Giuliani sold political pardons for $2 million each, I think I might have answered Doocy by saying that I would pardon Trump, but that with inflation, the price would now be closer to $2.3 million.
(featured image: Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)
