Salt Lake City, Utah - Republican Utah Governor Spencer Cox on Thursday shared an anecdote in which President Joe Biden floated pardoning President Donald Trump during pillow talk with his wife Jill.
Cox revealed a bizarre interaction he had with Biden in August 2023 during an anecdote from his upcoming book, which he'd shared as part of a feature with The Atlantic.
In the anecdote, the governor is described as sitting across from Biden in the presidential limousine as it drove through the streets of Salt Lake City.
"Mr. President, I know this might sound crazy – but I think you should pardon Donald Trump," Cox said he'd advised Biden.
The comment came amid numerous legal battles for Trump, who faced criminal charges across multiple jurisdictions.
Yet, it wasn't Cox's question that ended up being the anecdotes main surprise, but how Biden responded to it.
"You know, I've actually considered this for a while," Biden admitted to him that day in Salt Lake City.
"In fact, just this week as we were lying in bed, Jill, and I had a long conversation about it," he continued, announcing that although people were "demanding justice" he had serious considered a pardon.
Cox also provided an anecdote in which Trump promised to tone down his rhetoric and become a unity candidate in exchange for the GOP governor's endorsement. While he received the endorsement, he didn't follow through on his promise.
"When I spoke with President Biden, I hoped he would choose mercy over escalation," Cox said.
"When I wrote to President Trump, I hoped he would choose unity over retaliation. In both cases, things didn't turn out quite the way I'd hoped," he admitted. "It would be fair to suggest I failed."