Trump wants to examine Snowden's pardon

Status: 08/16/2020 3:33 a.m.

A few years ago, US President Trump condemned Edward Snowden as a "traitor". But now he is striking a completely new note and is even talking about pardoning the whistleblower.

The whistleblower Edward Snowden has lived in exile in Russia for years. A return to his home country, the USA, is out of the question. Here he faces up to 30 years imprisonment for betrayal of secrets, espionage and endangering national security. But now President Donald Trump indicated that he wanted to consider a pardon for the whistleblower.

Trump admitted at a press conference at his golf club in Bedminster that he was not particularly familiar with the matter. "But I'll have a look at it," said Trump when asked by a journalist.

"Lots of people are on his side"
The topic came up through an interview that Trump gave to the "New York Post" last week. Trump had already indicated that he would consider a pardon. There are many people who would think Snowden was not treated fairly, the Republican told the newspaper. "I don't know him, I've never met him. But many people are on his side," said Trump.

Left
Trump's interview with the "New York Post" | nypost.com
A "Spy Who Should Be Executed"
These statements by Trump sound significantly different than in the 2016 election campaign. At that time he had called Snowden a "traitor, as he had done three years earlier. In 2013, Snowden leaked thousands of secret documents to several journalists that brought to light the worldwide mass spying by the American secret service NSA.

Snowden was then charged with treason and fled. Russia granted him asylum and Snowden lives there to this day. After the documents were published, Trump had already called him a "spy" who was to be "executed".

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Snowden had hoped for a pardon from Obama
Snowden himself had already indicated in 2016 that he would like to return to the United States. The prerequisite, however, is that a fair trial is made there. He appealed to Trump's predecessor, President Barack Obama, to consider his pardon.