Joe Biden, current President, seems to be contemplating the unprecedented move of throwing blanket pardons for his cronies. This is an obvious ploy he has undertaken out of fear that President-elect Donald Trump’s administration may delve into their activities. This out-of-the-box use of presidential forgiveness implies dubious tactics and a worrisome angle of self-preservation.
The decision to grant pardons is usually reserved for those convicted of specific crimes. But Biden appears to be mulling over the unusual idea of pardoning individuals who are not under any suspicion or investigation. The fear of a Trump administration seems to push these potential pardons to a new extreme.
The unsettling scenario of Trump initiating investigations that could potentially tarnish reputations and incur significant financial losses seems to be driving Biden’s dubious decision. This unusual application of presidential pardoning appears to be an overstretch of constitutional powers.
However, some believe that this strategy could backfire. Insiders worry that by issuing such pardons, Biden may inadvertently validate claims by Trump supporters that these pardoned individuals had committed acts that warranted the pardon in the first place. This could imply an admission of their underlying guilt.
Among the candidates for Biden’s misguided pardon spree could be Dr. Anthony Fauci, who had a significant role in the handling of the coronavirus pandemic. Other possible recipients could include potential witnesses in Trump’s trials and officials in Biden’s administration who incur Trump’s displeasure.
Revealings that ex-officials have initiated contact with the Biden administration, seeking some form of protection against future scrutiny by Trump, raise eyebrows. This also underscores Biden’s questionable decision to pardon his son Hunter for crimes beyond his federal gun and tax violation convictions.
Biden, clearly troubled, aims to guard Hunter against potential future charges stemming from Trump’s allies. This altruistic act, however, could potentially set a dangerous precedent for the way presidential pardons are issued in the future.
The notion of preemptive pardons isn’t entirely novel. Gerald Ford, in 1974, pardoned his predecessor Richard Nixon over the Watergate scandal. Still, Ford believed that any potential trial would have led to a protracted and divisive debate, versus Biden’s seeming aim purely at self-preservation.
During his campaign, Trump wasn’t secretive about his plans to retaliate against his prosecutors or adversaries. Social media has been a witness to his various mentions of ‘enemies within’ and calls for potential charges against Biden, Kamala Harris, former VP Mike Pence, and Senators Mitch McConnell and Chuck Schumer.
The spotlight is also on former Rep. Liz Cheney, a conservative Republican who campaigned for Harris. With Kash Patel, Trump’s nominee for FBI director, having a list of ex-government officials to ‘come after’, unease in Biden’s camp is palpable.
Richard Painter, supportive yet reluctant about Biden’s potential sweeping pardons, believes this would ‘clean the slate’. However, Painter’s simplistic viewpoint overlooks the potential long-term consequences of such pardons, designed more as a protective shield than an instrument of justice.
While the Supreme Court has ruled that the president enjoys immunity for what could be considered official acts, the same immunity does not extend to his aides. This raises legitimate fears about Trump potentially exploiting the system to protect his allies from any legal repercussions.
Looking ahead, one can expect more conventional pardons from Biden, targeting sentencing disparities for federal crimes. Yet the ongoing saga starkly illustrates Biden’s desperate combat against a potential Trump administration, using pre-emptive pardons like a political shield.