No Kings in America: Trump’s Corrupt Clemency Demands Action

On Friday, Donald Trump commuted the sentence of disgraced former Representative George Santos, freeing him less than three months into a seven-year prison term for wire fraud and identity theft. Within hours, Santos walked out of a New Jersey prison, his release the result of a coordinated effort by Trump’s loyalists in Congress — Marjorie Taylor Greene, Lauren Boebert, Anna Paulina Luna, and Matt Gaetz. In his announcement, Trump praised Santos because he “ALWAYS VOTED REPUBLICAN,” and the commutation reportedly erased not only his sentence but also the restitution and forfeiture owed to his victims. That is not justice — it is fealty. The pardon and commutation powers exist to correct miscarriages of justice, not to reward loyalty or protect those who pledge obedience to a president. This act provoked condemnation across the political spectrum. Former GOP representative Adam Kinzinger called it “a feature of corruption.” Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries called Santos “a serial fraudster.” Even Robert Zimmerman, Santos’s onetime opponent, said he had “no doubt Santos will end up in Trump’s cabinet.” The timing could not be more revealing: Trump’s declaration came as millions of Americans gathered for No Kings Day demonstrations, demanding a return to constitutional rule. The symbolism is unmistakable. Trump’s words and actions show that personal loyalty, not law or truth, is the currency of power in his government. By turning clemency into a political weapon, Trump undermines the rule of law and warns his party that obedience brings reward — and dissent carries risk. That is how monarchies work, not republics. We fought a revolution to free ourselves from kings. You, as elected representatives, swear loyalty to the Constitution — not to any individual, not to any ruler. Trump’s use of clemency as patronage betrays that oath and endangers the independence of every public servant. Congress must act. Lawmakers should investigate the circumstances of this commutation, reaffirm that loyalty oaths have no place in our government, and protect the Department of Justice from political interference. The United States has no sovereigns — only citizens.