On the other hand, Biden might want to stay out of it on principle. Trump didn't respect the separation between himself and the DOJ, but Biden does. Refusing to pardon Trump would be a way for Biden to actually stay uninvolved from start to finish — although the average Republican voter who gets their civics info from Trump sees it differently. Your article makes me wonder: Even if Biden might not believe that compromising on Trump is inherently good for the country, what type of compromise might he try to make? Exactly what promise would he be looking for? I suppose it would depend on the facts closer to the conviction/sentencing phase and what Republicans could claim to offer Biden (or "the country") when the time comes. A lot can change in a year or two.