On the one hand this is pretty hypocritical. On the other hand I probably would do the same in his position given that trump plans to weaponize the Justice department.

Seriously. Here’s the scenario I put myself in:

• I’m 82 years old
• Three close family members, including my first wife and two of my children, have died.
• I’m being succeeded by someone who has promised to leverage government agencies to attack his political enemies
• My son has symbolically become one of those enemies
• I have choices:

 

• I can wait to see whether my successor does some third world shit to him while he’s in prison and be powerless to stop it if he does

OR

• I can use my current powers to free him, saving him from that fate, and getting more time with my remaining son during my final few years of life.

Fuck I know what choice I’m making.

I understand every single argument about why he shouldn’t have done it. I agree with some of them. Still no problem for me to put myself in a state of mind where I do the exact same thing.

Go ahead and come at me if you want, folks. I understand, but I won’t be changing my mind. If I’m 82 years old, my son stands a good chance of being abused while in a jail cell after I retire, and I can both avoid that plus also get an extra year+ with my son before I die, with nothing more required than expressing my wish for him to be released, I’m doing it.