Donald Trump’s commutation of former Republican Representative George Santos’s seven-year prison sentence, less than a year after his conviction for crimes including fraud and theft. An article from The Independent confirms the commutation, noting that Trump justified the action by claiming Santos was mistreated and possessed the “Courage, Conviction, and Intelligence to ALWAYS VOTE REPUBLICAN!” The second source, a Reddit thread from r/politics, captures the highly critical public reaction to the news, with numerous commenters interpreting the commutation as brazen political corruption, suggesting it sends a message that crimes are forgivable if committed by a Republican loyalist. Many of the public comments also speculate that this action serves as a precursor for future controversial pardons, such as that of Ghislaine Maxwell. Both sources highlight the explicit political nature of the decision, given Trump’s direct comments linking the commutation to Santos’s party loyalty.