On his Fox News television program Tuesday night, Tucker Carlson said that Roger Stone, former political adviser to President Donald Trump, "needs" to be pardoned.
Stone was arrested in January 2019 as a result of the investigation into Russian political meddling led by special prosecutor Robert Mueller. Stone was charged with attempting to obtain emails stolen from WikiLeaks in order to gain information about Hillary Clinton's 2016 presidential campaign. Members of Trump's team were allegedly knowledgeable of Stone's activities.
Federal prosecutors recommended sending Stone to prison for up to nine years, a length of time President Trump said was "horrible" in a tweet.
"This is a horrible and very unfair situation," Trump wrote. "The real crimes were on the other side, as nothing happens to them. Cannot allow this miscarriage of justice!"
This is a horrible and very unfair situation. The real crimes were on the other side, as nothing happens to them. Cannot allow this miscarriage of justice! https://t.co/rHPfYX6Vbv
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 11, 2020
Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren criticized any talk of lessening Stone's sentence during a campaign speech Tuesday in New Hampshire.
Warren spoke to supporters about a "Trump Justice Department that abandons the rule of law to give sweetheart deals to criminals who commit their crimes on behalf of Donald Trump and yes, Roger Stone, I'm looking at you."
Carlson said that Warren, "like so many on the left," was "howling for Roger Stone to die in prison. A 67-year-old man with no criminal record caught up in the Russia hoax, farce. Caught up in an investigation that proved to be fruitless. He's looking at nine years behind bars."
"Do you know what the average rapist does in this country? We checked today—four years," Carlson continued. "You know what the average armed robber gets? Three years. The average thug who violently assaults somebody? Less than a year and a half. But the left, CNN as well, are demanding that Roger Stone die in prison."
"This man needs a pardon," Carlson concluded.
Newsweek reached out to Fox News for comment but did not receive a response in time for publication.
After Trump's tweet, the Department of Justice told Fox News that it was "shocked" to see the length of Stone's suggested jail term and implied it would move to lessen Stone's sentence.
"Far less than 87 to 108 months' imprisonment would be reasonable under the circumstances," said DOJ official John Crabb in a brief filing Tuesday. "The government ultimately defers to the court as to the specific sentence to be imposed."
In response, the four federal prosecutors who made the sentencing request withdrew themselves from Stone's case.
Trump defended Stone in the media after he was convicted, telling The Palm Beach Post in December 2019 that Stone had nothing to do with his presidential campaign.
"You know Roger Stone was not involved in my campaign in any way other than the very, very beginning before I think, long before I announced, a little bit," Trump said.
"I've known Roger over the years," Trump added. "He's a nice guy. A lot of people like him."
Stone remained loyal to Trump even after his arrest. When asked if he would testify against the president in January 2019, Stone refused.
"I will not testify against the president because I would have to bear false witness," Stone told reporters.
