McCain predicts Elizabeth Holmes will get a Trump pardon
Meghan McCain's prediction is the kind of political parlor game that gets people arguing, and I get why. Trump has already shown he's willing to use pardons to make a point, and Holmes's story has a certain populist appeal: a young founder who many believe was treated harshly for a Silicon Valley culture that rewarded hype. But a pardon would cut against the fraud convictions that left investors and patients burned, and it's hard to see what political gain Trump would get from it.
I'd want to know whether Holmes has actually asked for a pardon or whether this is just speculation from a prominent Republican voice. The case is also unusual because Holmes was convicted by a jury and her sentence is relatively recent. Pardons for white-collar defendants do happen, but they usually come after years of legal appeals and public lobbying.
For now, McCain's hot take is more interesting as a reflection of how polarized even the justice system has become. People will read the same prediction as either common sense or a sign of corruption. That says more about us than about what Trump will actually do.