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| Will Donald Trump forgive Edward Snowden after demanding his execution? |
US President Donald Trump said Saturday he was considering forgiving Edward Snowden, who uploaded and leaked classified information about the US surveillance program in 2013.
"I will study it. I don't know about Edward Snowden's status, but I will start his studies," Donald Trump told a news conference in New Jersey on Saturday.
Donald Trump continued, "It seems to be a divisive decision. A lot of people think it should be approached differently while others think it did a bad job."
As Business Insider previously reported, Edward Snowden (Edward Snowden) uploaded around 1.5 million files when he registered with the NSA in Hawaii. He then fled to Hong Kong to exchange information with reporters, provided them with leaked documents, and fled to Russia. He has since been granted asylum.
In 2013, the US government charged Edward Snowden with two cases for violating the 1917 Espionage Act and stealing state property. Republican Rep. Thomas Macy urged US President Donald Trump to forgive Snowden last week, in a tweet that would allow him to return to the United States without arrest.
Edward Snowden bragged about illegal government activities that had been secret for many years and sparked a global debate about appropriate restrictions on government surveillance.
President Donald Trump told the New York Post last week, "A lot of people think he was not being treated fairly."
Trump said, "I think the Justice Department is trying to hand him over?" I'd definitely like to say it's something I can see and a lot of people are there. I don't know him, I've never seen him before, but a lot of people are by his side. ''
Trump continued, "From traitor to persecution, I heard both voices. You know, I heard from both sides."
As the New York Post noted, Trump's remarks marked a marked change in the president who had previously called for the execution of Edward Snowden.
Trump said on Twitter in 2013: "Snowden is a spy who should be executed, but if he can reveal Obama's record he will become a huge fan."
As the New York Post noted, as a star, Trump has tweeted at least 45 tweets about Snowden.
Trump also wrote on Twitter in 2013: “When Snowden was granted asylum in Russia, Putin mocked Obama. It is a sad day for the United States.”
As the current US president said in 2014, "Prepare Snowden from Russia - he has caused huge losses in the United States and is paying a heavy price."