Biden Weighs Pardons for Trump’s Critics in Final Days as President

President Joe Biden revealed Friday that he is still considering granting pardons to individuals criticized or threatened by President-elect Donald Trump. With just 10 days left in office, Biden is closely monitoring Trump’s rhetoric targeting his political opponents and others involved in Trump’s legal challenges.

Speaking from the White House, Biden addressed concerns over Trump’s approach to governing. “It depends on some of the language and expectations that Trump broadcast in the last couple days here as to what he’s going to do,” Biden said.

“The idea that he would punish people for not adhering to what he thinks should be policy related to his well-being is just outrageous.”

Biden’s potential preemptive pardons could protect those targeted by Trump for their roles in various investigations, including the House committee’s probe into the January 6 Capitol insurrection.

High-profile targets of Trump’s ire include former Wyoming congresswoman Liz Cheney and Mississippi Democrat Rep. Bennie Thompson, who led the January 6 investigation. Trump has also criticized special counsel Jack Smith, who charged him over his efforts to overturn the 2020 election.

While some view pardons as a safeguard against political retribution, the move would push the boundaries of presidential authority in untested ways.

Biden, however, dismissed the notion of pardoning himself. “What would I pardon myself for?” he asked incredulously. “No, I have no contemplation of pardoning myself for anything. I didn’t do anything wrong.”

Former Rep. Adam Kinzinger, a Republican member of the January 6 committee, rejected the idea of accepting a pardon. Speaking on CNN, he said, “I understand the theory behind it because Donald Trump has clearly said he’s going to go after everybody.

But the second you take a pardon and it looks like you’re guilty of something — I’m guilty of nothing besides bringing the truth to the American people and, in the process, embarrassing Donald Trump.”

In a separate issue, Biden criticized Meta for ending third-party fact-checking on Facebook and replacing it with user-generated “community notes.” The move, modeled after a similar feature on Elon Musk’s platform X, has been viewed by critics as accommodating the incoming Trump administration.

“You think it doesn’t matter that they let it be printed? Where millions of people read it, things that are simply not true,” Biden said. “It’s just completely contrary to everything America’s about. We want to tell the truth.”

The decision by Meta comes four years after former CEO Mark Zuckerberg banned Trump from his platforms following the Capitol insurrection.

Biden labeled the move “really shameful” and “contrary to American justice,” raising concerns about the spread of misinformation under Trump’s presidency.

As Biden’s term comes to an end, the potential pardons and his remarks highlight his efforts to protect democratic norms and truth in the face of political challenges.