Former President Joe Biden reportedly considered a pardon for President Donald Trump in an effort to unify the country.
The anecdote appeared in a profile on Gov. Spencer Cox (R-UT) published Thursday morning by The Atlantic.
According to Cox, who did not support Trump in 2016 or 2020 but has used his platform to try to depolarize politics, the idea came up during a trip Biden took to Utah in August 2023. Trump had recently been indicted on dozens of federal charges relating to his handling of classified documents and more.
“Mr. President, I know this might sound crazy,” Cox told The Atlantic he told the then-president, “but I think you should pardon Donald Trump.”
Biden, whom Trump had frequently accused of corruption, responded by telling Cox that he had discussed the idea with former first lady Jill Biden.
“You know, I’ve actually considered this for a while,” Biden said, according to Cox. “In fact, just this week as we were lying in bed, Jill and I had a long conversation about it.”
Biden concluded the conversation by promising Cox he would legitimately consider the proposal, despite calls from Democratic voters that Trump must face “justice” from the federal government.
The pardon never materialized, and the charges were later dropped after Trump won the 2024 general election.
Neither Biden’s office nor the White House chose to comment on The Atlantic‘s reporting.