Executive — The Hardest Right

When the Pardon Power Becomes a Price Tag

Democratic Sen. Peter Welch (Vt.) and Rep. Dave Min (Calif.) sent letters to 17 recipients of Trump pardons or commutations this week, asking whether clemency was exchanged under pay-for-play circumstances, The Hill reported May 7.

The pardon power sits in Article II of the Constitution — placed there by the Founders as an instrument of mercy and justice, not a revenue stream. Whether the allegations prove out or collapse under scrutiny, the question itself demands an answer the republic can trust.

The Cadet Honor Code holds that a soldier neither lies, cheats, nor steals — nor tolerates those who do. That standard doesn't retire when a man leaves the field and enters public office. The republic's long memory is watching.

Brief 60m ago

July 4 Is a Deadline Now — Europe Had Better Believe It

President Trump announced Thursday via Truth Social that the United States will give the European Union until July 4 to reach terms on trade or face significantly higher tariffs, according to reporting by The Hill. Trump described a prior call with European Commission leadership as 'great,' suggesting negotiation channels remain open — for now.

The date chosen is not accidental. July 4 is the republic's founding compact made visible — a reminder that American sovereignty, including sovereignty over its own commerce, was bought at a price no Brussels bureaucrat was present to pay.

The Founders vested the power to regulate foreign commerce squarely in Congress under Article I — a power too long delegated away to executive agencies and trade tribunals. Whatever one thinks of the leverage strategy, the underlying demand — that foreign markets treat American workers as equals, not marks — is the older and harder right.

Source: The Hill ForeignPolicy Economy Executive