On Monday, Jen Psaki, a former White House press secretary and current MSNBC host, delved into a “doozy” of a report from The New York Times. The report detailed a controversial pardon that former President Donald Trump granted on his final day in office in 2021.
The investigation revealed that the pardon for drug smuggler Jonathan Braun had “broader implications than previously known.” Braun was serving a 10-year sentence for operating a major marijuana ring and was also facing charges from the Justice Department for predatory lending to small businesses.
Trump’s last-minute commutation of Braun’s sentence was part of a larger spree of over 140 pardons and commutations. Braun was reported to be working as a loan shark again within months of his release.
According to The New York Times, Braun’s family used their connection to Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law and senior White House adviser, to secure the commutation. This action reportedly jeopardized a Justice Department criminal investigation into predatory lenders.
During her show “Inside With Jen Psaki,” the host questioned the implications of Trump’s actions. She emphasized how the former president disrupted a federal investigation by his own Justice Department and how he exercised “tremendous power” with loosely vetted presidential pardons.
Psaki cited an “old quote” and maxim of dictators, highlighting Trump’s approach to pardons. She warned that if Trump were to regain the leverage of government, he would continue to operate in the same manner.
To see Psaki’s full commentary on the issue, watch the clip from MSNBC below:
