Republican presidential candidate Larry Elder has countered Vivek Ramaswamy's call for a Trump pardon pledge with his own challenge, focusing on what he terms "Soros-funded" district attorneys. Ramaswamy had previously committed to pardoning former President Trump if elected and urged other candidates to do the same.

Elder, however, declined to join Ramaswamy's pledge, stating his presidential campaign isn't about "playing games" or responding to every candidate's demands. He emphasized his intention, if elected, to direct his Attorney General to dismiss the politically motivated charges against Trump.

Elder further criticized the perceived politicization of the justice system, citing the lack of charges against Hillary Clinton for her email server controversy and questioning the duration of the investigation into President Biden's handling of classified documents compared to Trump's case.

He pointed to "Soros-funded prosecutors" as a significant issue, accusing them of neglecting their duties and failing to enforce the law. Elder announced his upcoming unveiling of legislation aimed at removing such "weak-on-crime" County Attorneys. He invited Ramaswamy to support this measure, referencing Ramaswamy's purported past connections to Soros.

The Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. campaign declined to comment on the Republican candidates' initiatives. Ramaswamy's campaign acknowledged Elder and Kennedy's refusal to commit to the pardon pledge.

Ramaswamy's earlier statement reiterated his commitment to pardon Trump for the federal charges related to the classified documents case. He also recently submitted a FOIA request for communications between the White House and the Justice Department regarding Trump's second indictment.