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Debating Blanket Pardons: A Closer Look at the Biden Team’s Strategy for the Trump Transition

In Citizen
January 19, 2025

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The Biden administration is looking into the possibility of issuing blanket pardons before Trump’s anticipated acts of revenge against his political opponents. The White House is concerned that Trump’s appointments of highly partisan individuals to key law enforcement positions signal a desire for retribution.

Written by Peter Baker and Erica L. Green

Writing from the nation

The staff of President Biden is discussing the possibility of granting pardons to a group of individuals believed to be enemies of President-elect Donald J. Trump in order to shield them from the retaliation that Trump has promised once he assumes office.

The proposal suggests granting pardon to a group of current and former government officials in advance for any potential offenses they may have committed in the past few years. This would prevent the next president from following through on their plans to seek retribution against these officials.

White House officials are concerned that the individuals under consideration for top positions in the Justice Department may be targeted by President Trump for personal reasons. Even if no crimes have been committed, the fear is that investigations could be lengthy and costly, potentially damaging the careers of those involved.

The topic of blanket pardons is currently being discussed at a lower level within the administration, but President Biden has also brought it up with senior staff members, as reported by Politico. Sources familiar with the situation, who wished to remain anonymous, stated that the discussions are still in early stages. This comes after President Biden granted a pardon to his son Hunter to prevent him from facing prison time for gun and tax offenses.

During a briefing on Friday, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre chose not to talk about blanket pardons but mentioned that President Biden is contemplating potential executive clemency actions before his term ends. She stated that the president is currently reviewing his options and more information will be revealed in the future.

Biden demonstrated his approach with the pardon of his son, eliminating the charges he was convicted of and any potential crimes he may have been involved in since 2014. This move is likely to prevent Trump’s Justice Department from pursuing Hunter Biden on any allegations that were not deemed worthy of charges by the prosecutor who has been investigating him since Trump’s first term.

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