Republican rising star and presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy said he would not prosecute the Bidens if he becomes president of the United States, distancing himself from President Trump and his calls for retribution. 

"No, I’m not going to be guided by vengeance and grievance; I'm going to be guided by integrity. But the first step to getting there is there can be no reconciliation without truth," Ramaswamy told Fox News' Sunday Morning Futures.

Vivek extends an olive branch

Ramaswamy has gone further than most Republican primary candidates to condemn Trump's multiple prosecutions as an attack on democracy.

But as anger builds over Trump's treatment, Ramaswamy is extending an olive branch to the Bidens, tying the pledge to a broad vision of national reconciliation.

Over the weekend, Ramaswamy said he would be "open to evaluating pardons for the Biden family in the interest of moving the nation forward" but only after pardoning people on the right, including Trump, who have been persecuted under the color of law.

He was grilled over those comments by Maria Bartiromo. Ramaswamy denied calling to pardon Biden, but he said he would not actively pursue an investigation.

"The question is, is the next thing that I then want to do after we sent our nation forward, is it to then focus my agenda on persecuting or prosecuting Joe Biden or his family? My answer to that is no."

Truth and reconciliation

Ramaswamy did say he would support an impeachment inquiry into Biden's handling of the war in Ukraine, which Ramaswamy suspects has been influenced by alleged bribes Biden took from Ukrainian oligarchs.

"We have to get to the bottom of — including that bribe — I believe paid to the Biden family, how that is tied to our war in Ukraine and the support in Ukraine, get to the bottom of that first."

While Ramaswamy's sentiment may sound noble to some, it's likely many will find it premature and idealistic given the circumstances.

At present, there is no realistic prospect of Biden being held accountable for anything. And Democrats have shown no desire to de-escalate in their pursuit of Trump, which has now given rise to a scenario unprecedented in American history - the politically motivated arrest of an opposition candidate.

Trump has taken a far different tone from Vivek, warning his enemies that he will seek an eye for an eye upon returning to power.