Depending on how it is done it would send 2 messages. One would make it clear to the right that Trump would escape a twenty year sentence based on health reasons by a compassionate act of a Democratic President.
Two, it would send a message to the left that those who were willing to lie cheat and insurrect were all harmed by loss of some kind including homes and sanity due to excesses of a creeping oligarchy.

The extreme left of the 1950s to 60's had the basic same complaints as the extreme right of the 60's to today except that the right has a constant 20% white nationalist agenda.

The left was enraged by COINTELPRO and surveillance of the FBI just as the right complains about the FBI today. Clear government lies enraged both extremes. Distrust of justice is shared.

What you begin to realize is that the extreme left and right have switched places in society. One was radical hippie and one is Qanon whacky.

So my idea of a pardon could placate the right and the left extremes as long as the guardrails of law remains intact. You may be correct that it would reinforce the concept of an Imperial Presidency but it is still preferred over a civil war, as laws address the problems of oligarchy and wealth distribution.

Disagree if you like but realize an actual living wage would go a long way to solving our problems and making billionaires/corporations pay taxes.