White House weighs preemptive pardons for Trump’s potential targets - WP
Illustrative photo: The White House (Getty Images)
United States President Joe Biden and his senior staff are discussing whether to grant preemptive pardons to those who may be prosecuted by the administration of incoming White House President Donald Trump, The Washington Post reports.
Among those who are likely to be included in the list for preventive pardon are:
- Anthony S. Fauci, who coordinated the efforts of the Biden administration to combat the COVID-19 pandemic;
- Mark A. Milley, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who called Trump a “fascist”;
- Senator Adam Schiff, who led the first attempt to impeach Trump;
- former Republican congresswoman Liz Cheney, who openly and constantly criticized the former president.
According to sources, the initiative is headed by White House Chief of Staff Jeff Zients and Counselor Ed Siskel. This shows that the US administration is paying considerable attention to the issue at the highest level.
In the United States, presidents usually grant pardons in cases where the accused has already been found guilty of a specific crime. However, Biden's recent decision to pardon his son Hunter Biden has caused a wave of criticism. This is because the pardon concerned not only known crimes but also potentially any federal violations that Hunter may have committed between 2014 and 2024, even if they have not yet been documented or investigated.
US election 2024
In the 2024 US presidential election, Donald Trump won, outpacing his main rival from the Democratic Party, Kamala Harris. The so-called swing states, including Pennsylvania, Michigan, and North Carolina, played a decisive role in Trump's victory.
In early November, Biden had a phone conversation with Trump during which he promised him a peaceful transfer of power.
