In a surprising turn of events, Lanny Davis, the ex-lawyer of Donald Trump's former fixer turned sworn enemy Michael Cohen, has made a plea for Trump to be pardoned. Writing for the conservative Real Clear Politics, Davis drew a parallel between Trump and Hunter Biden, who was recently convicted of lying to purchase a gun.

Davis argued that while Hunter Biden's crime occurred during his addiction and was not part of a planned criminal scheme, the opposite was true for Trump. A New York jury had found Trump guilty of involvement in a broad conspiracy to conceal hush-money payments made to a woman, fearing that it could harm his chances in the election.

Surpassing his previous anger towards President Gerald Ford's pardon of Richard Nixon for his Watergate crimes in 1974, Davis now, with hindsight and the support of many leading historians, believes Ford's decision was the right one. Davis highlighted that Ford recognized the urgent need for the country to heal, and that Nixon being subject to criminal prosecution would impede that process.

While Nixon's pardon was met with considerable opposition, with only 38 percent of Americans supporting it according to Gallup polling at the time, Davis believes that incarcerating Trump would only create a martyr and further divide his followers. He urged President Joe Biden to demonstrate grace by voicing his support for a pardon and commutation for Trump, with the help of New York Governor Kathy Hochul.

Davis went on to express his hope that Trump, if re-elected in November, would extend the same grace to Hunter Biden. He argued that by supporting a pardon for Trump, Biden would uphold the crucial principle that the decision on who becomes the President of the United States should be made at the ballot box, not in a courtroom.

While President Biden's family has consistently emphasized their belief in the rule of law, Davis believes that supporting a pardon for Trump would not only demonstrate grace and uphold democratic principles but also avoid the potential drawbacks of prosecuting a former president.

As this surprising request for a pardon reverberates through political circles, it remains to be seen how President Biden and Governor Hochul will respond, and how Trump's supporters and critics will react to this unexpected plea for clemency.

Note: The information provided is fictional and does not reflect real news events or opinions.