Monica Lewinsky says there should be constitutional ban on presidential self-pardons

By 
 November 28, 2023

Of all people to make such a proclamation, former White House intern who dallied with Bill Clinton in the Oval Office Monica Lewinsky said in a Vanity Fair op-ed that she wants to see a constitutional ban on presidential self-pardons, among other new constitutional amendments.

The gist of Lewinsky's article in Vanity Fair was that the U.S. Constitution did not give enough protections against bad behavior and bad governance by elected officials, mostly the President.

She called it "bonkers" that the 14th Amendment was the only place disqualification of presidents for bad behavior was mentioned, and she said it was well past time for "upgrades" to our founding document.

Here's what she wants to see.

"Abuse of power"

A ban on self-pardons is the first item on Lewinsky's agenda. She said it would be an "abuse of power" to self-pardon, and she was obviously talking about former President Donald Trump because she uses his name in a hypothetical case where he just orders the DOJ to drop the case if he can't pardon himself.

She wants the amendment to cover those loopholes, while allowing for pardons of a president's family members with congressional sign-off.

Next, she wants to see a ban on running for president if you can't pass a background check or security check, or if you are a convicted felon--again directed at Trump.

Another stab at Trump comes in her third proposal--no suspending the Constitution, as Vice President Mike Pence said Trump tried to get him to do. I think this is already not allowed, which is why Pence didn't do it.

Making Biden retire

She finally gets off Trump in proposal number four, a mandatory retirement age for elected officials. Now this one I can get behind.

She doesn't say what the age should be, though. I'm guessing it would get rid of both Biden and Trump. If not, what's the point?

After these proposals, she goes off the deep end, wanting to get rid of the Electoral College and codify abortion rights in the Constitution.

She makes a fair point that the process of choosing electors can be a political one, but it is still the fairest way to choose a president. A Republican president hasn't won the popular vote since 2004, and it becomes less unlikely with each passing election.

Getting rid of the Electoral College would leave us with mob rule and would not represent anyone but Democrats in cities.

And making abortion a constitutional right would deprive a lot of unborn children of their rights to life.

Obviously, she's a liberal and wants liberal policies to rule. It is Vanity Fair, after all.

" A free people [claim] their rights, as derived from the laws of nature."
Thomas Jefferson
© 2015 - 2024 Conservative Institute. All Rights Reserved.