Theodore Deutch actually said...

Iran's despicable practice of holding Americans and other foreign nationals hostage should not be tolerated by any responsible nation.

Let's assume that a President pardoned someone in return for a check, personal check, of $50,000.

To interpret the Constitution otherwise would be to render any President into an elected tyrant.

the President does not have an absolute right to pardon himself or to use the pardon power in a corrupt manner.