As Americans wondered and worried Sunday afternoon about the mounting effects of the coronavirus outbreak, President Donald Trump offered a reminder that the danger he poses to the rule of law never goes away.

He did it with a tweet suggesting he would pardon Michael Flynn, the felon who was one of the Trump team’s key go-betweens with Russia in the election interference scandal.

Citing an unsubstantiated (and almost certainly fictitious) report that the FBI and the Justice Department had lost records related to Flynn’s criminal case, Trump tweeted that he was “strongly considering a Full Pardon!”

This would be a gross abuse of executive power. Flynn, who served just 24 days as Trump’s first national security adviser, pleaded guilty in late 2017 to lying to the FBI about his extensive involvement with Russia. Further, he met 19 times with the Mueller investigation team, providing what was described as “substantial assistance” in a probe that so far has resulted in eight conspirators being convicted of crimes related to the scandal.

Flynn has since requested to withdraw his plea and has avoided sentencing as a result, but this legal maneuver won’t erase extensive evidence of his guilt. The record shows he was working as a de facto Russian agent while serving as an adviser on Trump’s campaign team and as a member of Trump’s transition team.

His slimy dealings included conversations in 2016 with Russia’s then-ambassador to the United States, Sergey Kislyak, who was working at Vladimir Putin’s behest to defeat U.S. sanctions against Russia. Putin/Kislyak were looking to cut a secret deal with the Trump administration to lift the sanctions; they found a willing tool in Flynn.

No way does Flynn deserve a pardon, and especially not now: His case is still proceeding through the legal system. He was scheduled to be sentenced last month, but the sentencing was postponed so the courts could address his request to withdraw his plea.

That request, by the way, involves a claim by Flynn that he received ineffective counsel from his previous attorneys, whom he recently replaced with conservative firebrand lawyer Sidney Powell.

Trump, by suggesting a pardon for Flynn even before his case plays out, sends a clear message that he’ll protect and reward any crooks willing to lie on his behalf, aid him in obfuscating facts and help him avoid accountability for any wrongdoings.

Meanwhile, Trump’s Justice Department took an obviously related step last month by dropping charges against two Russian companies accused of backing a social media campaign designed to disrupt the 2016 election.

The case involving the companies was one of the showcase indictments in the Mueller investigation. Dropping it looks like a mob boss quietly trying to silence those who might do him harm by granting them favors. It’s corruption in plain sight — an instance of Trump looking after his interests and those of Vladimir Putin even as the nation wrestles with a massive crisis.

Speaking of Putin, no doubt Trump would earn a pat on the head from him by pardoning Flynn. Putin already has to be laughing about how he’s undermined the American justice system vicariously with his support of Trump. Every time Trump attacks the rule of law, it’s a victory for the Russian strongman.

Another infuriating element in the potential Flynn pardon is that Flynn could already have walked away from the case without any prison time. Before he did his 360 on his plea, prosecutors were recommending probation heading into the sentencing hearing last month. Now, they want him to serve six months behind bars.

Of course, this isn’t the first time Trump has suggested a pardon or actually issued one to someone who isn’t deserving. Other aides convicted in the scandal, including Roger Stone and Paul Manafort, are angling for pardons, and Trump hasn’t ruled them out. He’s also pardoned the likes of Rod Blagojevich, Joe Arpaio and Bernard Kerik, all unrepentantly corrupt political figures for whom time behind bars was entirely appropriate.

With Flynn, Trump once again displayed his contempt for the courts and his desire to wield oligarch-like power. Justice for all? No, just for Trump and those who would break the law to advance his interests.

And as he so often does, he waited until Americans weren’t watching him to go under the radar and undermine our systems.