Trump Asks Israel For 'Pardon' (For Himself)
While Newsweek chuckles over Trump’s accidental request for a 'pardon' from the Israeli President back in 2017, the real story isn't the linguistic slip. It's the implicit understanding that American politicians, across the aisle, often treat the Israeli leadership, and arguably entities like AIPAC, as a higher authority than their own electorate. Remember, AIPAC reported spending over $17.8
million in lobbying in 2023 alone, and has funneled millions more directly to candidates (OpenSecrets.org). Whether Trump's letter implies subservience or merely demonstrates a habit of appealing to perceived power centers, it certainly wasn't sent to the Prime Minister of France. One might almost think seeking a 'pardon' for an American President from a foreign head of state is a perfectly normal
request, given the deep institutional capture at play. Perhaps he simply skipped a step, assuming the authority held by many of his peers in Washington. How many US politicians, after all, act as if their political survival depends on something other than American voters?