Joe Biden discussed the possibility of granting President Trump a pardon in a bedtime conversation with his wife, Jill, according to Republican Utah Gov. Spencer Cox.
In an anecdote from his upcoming book, detailed in The Atlantic Thursday, the governor revealed that he pitched Biden on the idea of pardoning Trump back in August 2023 – only to find out that the then-president and first lady had already been mulling it.
“Mr. President, I know this might sound crazy, but I think you should pardon Donald Trump,” Cox recalled telling Biden, as the two sat inside the presidential limousine in Salt Lake City.
According to the governor, Biden responded: “You know, I’ve actually considered this for a while.”
“In fact, just this week as we were lying in bed, Jill and I had a long conversation about it,” Biden continued, noting people were “demanding justice” but he was entertaining the idea of a Trump pardon.
Just days before their conversation, Trump was hit with a federal indictment related to his alleged effort to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.
Trump had already been facing federal charges for allegedly mishandling classified documents and was in the middle of his Manhattan trial for allegedly falsifying business records.
Cox, who at the time was not supporting Trump’s re-election bid, feared that prosecuting the 45th president would intensify the political turmoil in the country.
He argued that by pardoning Trump, Biden could deescalate tensions and break the cycle of partisan retribution.
Biden, who granted 80 pardons, including to his son, Hunter, and former COVID czar Anthony Fauci, did not end up issuing one to Trump.
It’s unclear if Jill dissuaded her husband from pardoning Trump. The first lady reportedly wielded significant political influence during her aging husband’s only term in office.
A few days after Cox pitched the idea to Biden, Trump was indicted on state charges in Georgia over his alleged efforts to interfere in the presidential election in the Peach State.
A presidential pardon would not have prevented prosecution in the Georgia or Manhattan cases.
The federal cases against Trump, as well as the Georgia case, were dismissed after he defeated former Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election.
Trump was convicted on 34 felony counts at the end of his Manhattan trial.
A spokesperson for Biden did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment.
A few months before his conversation with Cox, Biden was asked by Fox News reporter Peter Doocy about potentially pardoning Trump.
Biden cracked a smile and waved the question off, before replying, “I’ll see you guys” and calling it “a great question.”
