In a recent announcement, President Joe Biden has expressed that he is contemplating pre-emptive pardons for several individuals at risk of political retaliation by the forthcoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump.
According to Fox News, President Biden is weighing the potential of pardoning figures like former GOP Representative Liz Cheney and Dr. Anthony Fauci as his term concludes.
This consideration follows his unprecedented decision to pardon his son, Hunter Biden, which came after Biden’s assurance there were no such plans in his agenda. Hunter Biden had been convicted on felony charges related to firearms and tax evasion.
President Biden’s act of clemency for his son has ignited discussions about his use of the pardon power as his presidency winds down.
In a notable move last December, he set a new record by commuting the sentences of approximately 1,500 individuals in a single day, marking the largest act of clemency granted by any president to date.
Susan Page, Chief of the Washington Bureau for USA Today, highlighted the discussion of these potential pardons in an interview conducted in the Oval Office during the past weekend. She published the interview details on Wednesday, revealing the breadth of President Biden’s contemplations.
During a post-election meeting, President Biden implored President-elect Trump to avoid using his new office to pursue personal vendettas. As Biden noted in his interview, "He didn't say, 'No, I'm going to...' You know. He didn't reinforce it. He just basically listened." This interaction suggested a reserved, yet non-committal response from Trump.
Senate Democrat Adam Schiff's hesitation towards such wide-ranging pardons illuminates the political divide. Senator Schiff fears this could start a troubling trend: "[I] did not want to see every president going forward handing out broad-based, blanket pardons."
While some Democrats like Senator Ed Markey back the issuance of preemptive pardons to fend off what they perceive as potential dictatorial actions by Trump against his adversaries, others are wary. They argue that such a move could set a precarious precedent for future administrations. Markey’s apprehensions paint a stark picture of the potential political landscape.
Senator Ed Markey elaborates on his views: "I think that without question, Trump is going to try to act in a dictatorial way, in a fascistic way, in a revengeful [way his] first year … towards individuals who he believes harmed him. If it’s clear by January 19th that [revenge] is his intention, then I would recommend to President Biden that he provide those preemptive pardons to people, because that’s really what our country is going to need next year."
The potential list for these preemptive pardons includes several figures known for their opposition to Trump, raising concerns among the political community regarding the future implications of such decisions.
While opinions vary, this episode highlights the ongoing tension in American politics and the uncertain future as the administration transition approaches. The decisions made in the coming weeks will likely have a lasting impact not just on the individuals potentially pardoned, but on the precedent set for executive clemency.
President Biden's final acts in office continue to draw significant attention as he uses his remaining power to shape his legacy and potentially safeguard the democratic institutions against future political vendettas.
