<p>President Donald Trump said on Saturday that he will "take a look" at pardoning Edward Snowden, the former US intelligence contractor who revealed in 2013 that the US government was spying on its citizens.</p>.<p>Snowden, who has been living in exile in Russia since the revelations, has said he would like to return to the United States -- but only on the condition that he receive a fair trial.</p>.<p>Trump was asked during a press conference at his Bedminster, New Jersey golf club if he was considering pardoning the former contractor.</p>.<p>He replied that he was "not that aware" of Snowden's situation -- but that he plans to look into it, calling the controversy a "split decision."</p>.<p>"Many people think that he should be somehow treated differently and other people think he did very bad things," the president said, adding: "I'm going to take a look at that very strongly." </p>.<p>It was a shift from the 2016 presidential campaign, when Trump said of Snowden, "I think he's a total traitor and I would deal with him harshly."</p>.<p>Snowden was praised as a whistleblower and privacy advocate by his defenders after he leaked information showing that agents from the National Security Agency (NSA) were carrying out widespread surveillance on citizens.</p>.<p>But the United States accuses him of endangering national security. A conviction on espionage charges could send him to prison for decades.</p>.<p>A push to have him pardoned by Trump's predecessor, Barack Obama, ultimately failed.</p>
<p>President Donald Trump said on Saturday that he will "take a look" at pardoning Edward Snowden, the former US intelligence contractor who revealed in 2013 that the US government was spying on its citizens.</p>.<p>Snowden, who has been living in exile in Russia since the revelations, has said he would like to return to the United States -- but only on the condition that he receive a fair trial.</p>.<p>Trump was asked during a press conference at his Bedminster, New Jersey golf club if he was considering pardoning the former contractor.</p>.<p>He replied that he was "not that aware" of Snowden's situation -- but that he plans to look into it, calling the controversy a "split decision."</p>.<p>"Many people think that he should be somehow treated differently and other people think he did very bad things," the president said, adding: "I'm going to take a look at that very strongly." </p>.<p>It was a shift from the 2016 presidential campaign, when Trump said of Snowden, "I think he's a total traitor and I would deal with him harshly."</p>.<p>Snowden was praised as a whistleblower and privacy advocate by his defenders after he leaked information showing that agents from the National Security Agency (NSA) were carrying out widespread surveillance on citizens.</p>.<p>But the United States accuses him of endangering national security. A conviction on espionage charges could send him to prison for decades.</p>.<p>A push to have him pardoned by Trump's predecessor, Barack Obama, ultimately failed.</p>