IMO, America as an independent and sovereign nation will not survive any application of mercy in this event.
Any act of mercy will be, rightfully, taken as a sign of weakness and those who only respect what they fear will simply go back to doing their usual deep swampery.
A person does not need to be in office or elected position to be able to do a hella lot of harm with whatever parts and pieces of the network remain after the cleansing. Just access to some of the blackmail files to start all over again.
Right now. In this war we are in, Kindness. Is. Weakness.
Agree completely.
Mercy to the cruel is cruelty to the innocent.