Democracy is messy, and justice is imperfect. Presidents are immune from prosecution so they can focus on the job the people elected them to do, which is considered a higher priority than attaining perfect justice. While Trump’s first election can be written off as an aberration of a flawed electoral system, this time he won the popular endorsement of voters fully informed of his manifold flaws. The people are the ultimate jury.
In the most sweeping absolution in American history, Lincoln forgave the Confederates who instigated and fought a bloody insurrection to preserve the abhorrent institution of slavery. Trump’s offenses are trivial by comparison. That doesn’t mean he deserves forgiveness; but as Clint Eastwood’s character in “The Unforgiven” says, “Deserve’s got nothing to do with it.” Ford’s pardon of Nixon was an expediency. This would be, too.
Some conservatives have argued Biden should pardon Trump. There are cogent arguments against that (see article here). The counterargument to “healing the country” is that it won’t heal the country; Trump and his MAGA followers will remain as belligerent as ever. But pardoning him is expedient, because it would take the wind out of any efforts by him to seek retribution. How would it look if he’s forgiven, but won’t forgive?
For better or worse, Trump’s his second election victory enters him into the pantheon of important historical figures, and it’s now up to history to judge him. That judgment, like all historical assessments, should be unsparing.