I think you're missing the point.
Interesting point ;)
The point I was making when I stated:
it is expunging from the narrative that there ever was a crime
The operative word I was employing was 'narrative' followed by the word 'expunging'. Which the reporter that Ryan quotes kinda reinforces that point by stating:
but it will still hang over the heads of national security reporters for years to come
The reporter is also referencing the 'narrative' that was being put into motion and now out of gas/discredited.
Expunging from the narrative references the shameful reporting/lies/propaganda (ie. narrative) and misappropriation by a faction of people whom it is being shown, are illegally occupying positions within the US Govt. by means of illegal vote tampering. So perhaps the statement of...
the whole world is on notice that it is official US govt. policy
... could be indicating that the occupying people in the US Govt are the entirety of the US Govt, which I think most would disagree with that generalization.
And to clarify one other thing that you responded to by stating:
I was replying to Beau with "That is correct" that Trump could pardon, but I didn't explicitly state 'if there is a conviction'. I assumed that others might already understand however you typed it out;
because that is only for cases where someone has actually been convicted of a crime
Apologies for the confusion there.
And lastly, regarding the reporter Ryan quoted when he stated...
“The administration could’ve easily just dropped the case but chose to instead legitimize the criminalization of routine journalistic conduct and encourage future administrations to follow suit.” [..]
... is interesting to me in that would the same reporter view the gobs of reporters that lied about Covid but so far, have completely gotten away with it as legitimate?
Seems like the reporter is setting up a future 'narrative' that in the event that say Trump's new administration with a DOJ that has less TDS goes after reporters that routinely and knowingly lied to the public, that the new DOJ and Trump are only trying to 'criminalize routine journalistic conduct'. Or any other HRC/Obama related crimes that are published and causes a Deep State reaction as in the case/example of Julian.
I am optimistic that those types of reactions will dwindle and more 'airing of the laundry' will go on in the near future so that the public can get more of the whole story.