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Debating Blanket Pardons: Biden’s Strategy to Protect Trump’s Perceived Enemies from Retribution

In Citizen
January 19, 2025

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The Biden administration is contemplating issuing blanket pardons as a precaution against potential retaliation from President-elect Trump, who has appointed individuals known for their partisan views to key law enforcement positions. This suggests that Trump may seek retribution against those he views as enemies.

Authored by Peter Baker and Erica L. Green.

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President Biden’s team is discussing the possibility of granting pardons to a group of individuals who are considered to be enemies of President-elect Donald J. Trump. This is being considered in order to shield them from any retaliation that Trump has suggested may happen once he assumes office. Sources familiar with the conversations have revealed this information.

The proposal suggests granting executive clemency in advance to a group of current and former government officials for potential crimes committed over several years. This would prevent the incoming president from carrying out their plans for seeking revenge.

Officials at the White House are concerned that the individuals who may be targeted for investigation have not actually committed any crimes. They fear that President Trump’s choices for key positions in the Justice Department suggest he may act on his threats of seeking revenge. Even if no charges are brought against them, an investigation could still be lengthy and costly, potentially harming their careers and finances.

The topic of blanket pardons, as discussed by Politico, is mainly being handled by staff members at this time. Although President Biden has had conversations about it with senior team members, the details were shared by anonymous sources to protect the confidentiality of internal discussions. This discussion follows President Biden’s decision to pardon his son Hunter in order to prevent 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 is looking into potential executive clemency actions before his term ends. She stated, "The president is currently considering what to do next, so stay tuned for updates."

Mr. Biden hinted at his approach by pardoning his son, clearing not only the charges he was convicted of but also any potential crimes he may have been involved in since 2014. This move is likely to prevent the Justice Department under Mr. Trump from pursuing Hunter Biden on any allegations that were not deemed worthy of charges by the prosecutor who has been investigating him since Mr. Trump’s first term.

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