White House officials dismayed over Trump’s decision to commute Stone’s sentence

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

• Despite opposition from his top officials, President Donald Trump has granted Roger Stone clemency to reduce his jail sentence.
• Trump’s action had fueled concerns over his top officials’ lack of control concerning his decision-making process.
• It could also exhibit a major political blowback for his reelection bid as he continues to trail behind former Vice President Joe Biden in polls.

Multiple sources told NBC News that White House officials led by Attorney General William Barr and chief of staff Mark Meadows objected to the criminal sentence reduction of Roger Stone and were disappointed in President Donald Trump’s clemency provision.

Barr briefed Trump about Stone’s predicament and recommended not to give clemency, which was also backed by Meadows and other White House aides.

According to one of the sources, Trump deviated from the advice of his officials as he believed that Stone was unfairly prosecuted and he described the Russian-meddling investigation as an illegitimate “witch hunt.” 

Trump also thought that his camp would still support him if he decides to reduce Stone’s sentence.

One of the sources said, “There are senior advisers around him who are telling him your base wants you to build the wall and drain the swamp and never said ‘pardon Roger Stone.’”

Trump’s clemency provision on Stone sparked concern among people who saw it as an issue of management control on White House officials with regard to the president’s decision-making process.

In February, Stone was sentenced to three years and four months of imprisonment for obstructing a congressional investigation of Russia’s interference in the 2016 presidential election. Stone had been on home confinement in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. But the White House Friday announcement about the president’s clemency will save him from being put to jail starting this week.

Stone had been calling for clemency on social media for weeks as the president continuously told the media that he was leaning towards pardoning him. Trump also gave a clue that clemency was considered when he retweeted a petition to pardon Stone.

According to one of the people familiar with the issue, Trump was warned of his action as one of his officials told him “it was a big mistake.”

It could yield a major political consequence and his action can be seen as an abuse of presidential power by the opposition, especially as he continues to lag behind the national polls and in key battleground states versus former Vice President Joe Biden in the upcoming presidential election in November.

Source: AOL.com