The clock is ticking on Joe Biden’s presidency. He’s running out of time.
That’s why Joe Biden is preparing to do the unthinkable.
As President Joe Biden’s time in office begins to wind down, his administration is reportedly grappling with a critical decision: whether to issue preemptive pardons for a range of public officials, many of whom have become targets of former President Donald Trump and his loyalists. According to senior Democrats familiar with the matter, the discussions have sparked alarm among Biden’s aides, who are deeply concerned about the potential legal consequences for individuals who have crossed Trump and his supporters. Yet, as these deliberations unfold, the hypocrisy of the Biden administration becomes all the more apparent.
The Biden White House, after all, is exploring the possibility of handing out pardons to those who have committed no crimes — a move that could have serious political implications. Among those under consideration are figures like Sen.-elect Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), former GOP Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming, and Dr. Anthony Fauci, the former head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, who became a lightning rod for conservative criticism during the COVID-19 pandemic.
URGENT: Politico reports the @WhiteHouse may pardon Dr. Anthony Fauci to protect him from future federal investigation and prosecution.
This would be a good way to destroy confidence in public health for a generation pic.twitter.com/ojM8PsT6d1
— Alex Berenson (@AlexBerenson) December 5, 2024
Even though these individuals have not been accused of wrongdoing, Biden’s aides are reportedly weighing whether to issue pardons out of fear that Trump’s return to the White House would lead to politically motivated investigations or indictments. Meaning, these individuals could be found guilty of wrongdoing after Joe Biden’s left office, but a pardon would potentially protect them in that situation.
The Biden administration’s concern seems to center not on justice or fairness, but on protecting the political elite from potential retribution. Their real anxiety lies in the notion that Trump, once in power again, might go after anyone who crossed him during his first presidency or who is aligned with the so-called “Deep State.” According to reports, Trump’s appointment of Kash Patel to lead the FBI has heightened these fears, as Patel has openly stated his intent to go after Trump’s critics.
Yet, the very idea that Biden’s aides are considering preemptive pardons in response to a political threat speaks volumes about the administration’s disregard for the rule of law and its willingness to act out of political self-interest. But perhaps the most glaring hypocrisy lies in how Biden’s team is handling the issue of pardons for those who have been criminally convicted versus those who are merely politically targeted. Biden’s controversial decision to pardon his son, Hunter Biden, who was facing multiple federal investigations, raised eyebrows even among Democrats.
Many critics within the party are still furious that the president chose to intervene on behalf of his son, whose past legal troubles — ranging from drug-related offenses to tax evasion — remained unresolved. Yet, in considering pardons for others, Biden’s aides are not even acknowledging the potential impropriety of pardoning individuals who have not been convicted of crimes, further undermining the integrity of the process.
1,943 days since Epstein died.
1,617 days since Maxwell was arrested.
Not a single one of their “clients” has been exposed… but Hunter Biden gets a pardon.
Justice isn’t blind — it’s selective.
— Kari Lake (@KariLake) December 4, 2024
This looming decision is being carefully orchestrated behind closed doors by key White House officials, including White House Counsel Ed Siskel and Chief of Staff Jeff Zients. Yet President Biden himself, whose focus has been on protecting his son, has not yet been directly involved in these broader discussions, leaving the decision to his staff. This suggests that Biden’s priorities lie less in upholding justice and more in shielding his allies and the political class from Trump’s anticipated vengeance.
Moreover, the fact that these discussions are taking place at all underscores the growing anxiety among high-level Democrats, who fear that Trump’s return to power could lead to a wave of reprisals. Biden’s aides are concerned that, once in office, Trump could take extreme actions against those who have openly challenged him — leading them to consider pardoning public officials who might be swept up in a potential political purge. This fear of retaliation from Trump’s camp has pushed Biden and his team to make calculated political decisions, rather than acting based on any principle of justice or fairness.
Adding to the complexity of the situation is the pressure Biden is facing from within his own party. Democratic leaders, including House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, have called on the president to extend his pardoning powers to working-class Americans who have been disproportionately affected by the criminal justice system.
Jeffries specifically invoked Hunter Biden’s pardon as a model, urging Biden to grant clemency to those serving time for nonviolent offenses. However, this plea for mercy for the working class comes across as deeply hypocritical in light of the fact that the Biden administration is considering pardons for well-connected elites who have not even been convicted of any crimes.
Ultimately, the entire debate surrounding pardons reveals a troubling truth about Biden and the Democratic Party: they are more concerned with protecting their own than with ensuring justice for the American people. The hypocrisy at play — pardoning political allies while ignoring calls for clemency for marginalized Americans — will only serve to further erode trust in a system that seems rigged in favor of the political class.
If Biden truly wants to prove that he is committed to fairness and equality, he should reject the temptation to use pardons as a political tool and focus instead on addressing the injustices faced by ordinary Americans. But given the trajectory of his presidency, it’s unlikely that such a commitment will come to fruition anytime soon.
The response to the news of potential preemptive pardons has been very critical of Joe Biden and his administration’s complete disregard for the rule of law. It’s clear that none of this would be a consideration if Kamala Harris had won the Presidential race, which is what the Democrats were banking on.
If Biden issues preemptive pardons, I say: prosecute them anyway! Put them through the ordeal of a trial. Ruin them financially. The pardon erases the sentence; it does not prevent the process of getting to a conviction. Moreover trials are a showcase for exposing crimes!
— Dinesh D'Souza (@DineshDSouza) December 5, 2024
Stay tuned to the DC Daily Journal.
