11 views 4 mins 0 comments

Biden Administration Considers Blanket Pardons to Protect Against Trump’s Promised Retribution

In Citizen
January 19, 2025

Transition of power from

Transition to the

Transition of power

Prom

Backed by

The Biden administration is contemplating issuing pardons for a large group of individuals before Donald Trump’s potential actions of retaliation against his opponents. This decision is based on the belief that Trump’s choices for key law enforcement positions suggest he may seek revenge against those he views as adversaries.

Written by Peter Baker and Erica L. Green

Coverage from the capital

President Biden’s team is discussing the possibility of granting pardons to a group of individuals who are seen as enemies by President-elect Donald J. Trump. The goal is to shield them from the potential consequences Trump has suggested he may impose once he assumes office.

The concept involves granting pardons to a group of current and former government officials before any potential crimes they may have committed over a span of years are investigated, thus preventing the next president from carrying out their planned retaliation against them.

Officials at the White House are concerned that although the individuals being considered for top positions in the Justice Department have not been found guilty of any crimes, President Trump may still seek retribution. Even if an investigation does not lead to any charges, it could still be lengthy and costly for those involved, potentially damaging their careers.

The topic of blanket pardons, as mentioned by Politico, is mainly being discussed among staff members. Sources familiar with the situation, who requested anonymity, revealed that although President Biden has talked about it with senior members of his team, no final decisions have been made. This discussion follows President Biden’s decision to pardon his son Hunter to protect him from facing imprisonment for gun and tax offenses.

During a briefing on Friday, Karine Jean-Pierre, the White House press secretary, chose not to talk about blanket pardons. However, she mentioned that President Biden was thinking about potential executive clemency actions before his term ends. She stated that the president is currently looking at what to do next and more information will be shared in the future.

Mr. Biden foreshadowed his approach by pardoning his son, clearing him of all charges and potential crimes he may have been involved in since 2014. This action will likely prevent the Justice Department under Mr. Trump from pursuing any allegations against Hunter Biden that were not deemed worthy of charges by the prosecutor who has been investigating him since Mr. Trump’s first term.

We are experiencing difficulty in accessing the content of the article.

To use this website properly, make sure to activate JavaScript in

We appreciate your patience as we confirm your access. If you are currently in Reader mode, please close it and sign in to your Times account, or consider subscribing to access all of The Times content.

We appreciate your understanding as we confirm access.

Are you currently a member? Please sign in.

Interested in receiving all of The Times? Sign up for a subscription

Prom

Website Directory

Navigation for Site Information