Yet, given Trump's penchant for telling his own truth and his past musing of issuing a self-pardon, there is every chance he would accept a pardon when the alternative might well be a long, grueling, expensive, and high stakes criminal trial.
But the pardon is not enough. President Biden must accompany his offer of a pardon with an announcement that he will not seek a second term. President Biden stepping aside after his term ends is already something the vast majority of the public wants, even within the Democratic Party. But doing so would also immediately hollow out any and all accusations that Biden offering Trump a pardon is a calculated political maneuver to benefit himself.
The President should stipulate that while the pardon he's offering Trump is unconditional, he nevertheless hopes that his predecessor will follow suit in ending his pursuit of any political office, instead choosing to make way for new leadership in the country—something majorities in both parties agree is necessary.
This would allow President Biden to truly become the transitional statesman he campaigned as in 2020. It might also make him one of the best presidents of the modern era.
