President Trump recently suggested that Roger Stone's "prayer may be answered," and a new report suggests that's looking increasingly likely.
Stone, the longtime adviser to Trump who last year was convicted on seven felony counts including lying to Congress, is scheduled to report to prison next week. But CNN reports that the president is "widely expected to pardon or commute Stone's sentence."
This is despite the fact that, CNN also reports, some Trump advisers have "voiced concern in recent months about the possible political repercussions" of the move, and Trump has sometimes "seemed reluctant" to do so, even "fuming and bad-mouthing" Stone in private. Trump, however, "sees his former confidant through the lens of himself, several people close to him say, viewing an attack on Stone as an attack on him," CNN writes. Politico similarly reports that even though White House and campaign aides reportedly feel that Trump has "nothing to gain by helping" Stone, the president is expected to "at least split the difference by commuting" his sentence.
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Stone has been trying to delay the start of his prison sentence, but on Thursday, the Justice Department backed a judge's decision to deny him a postponement until September. In an interview on Thursday, Trump said that Stone's "prayer" for a pardon "may be answered," and asked on Friday about the possibility of a pardon, Trump told reporters he'll "be looking at it," adding that Stone was "very unfairly treated."
