Biden Makes Last-Day Pardons To Block Potential Trump Retribution

Joe Biden, in perhaps his last act as U.S. president, issued preemptive pardons to key figures, including Dr. Anthony Fauci, retired Gen. Mark Milley, ahead of President-elect Donald Trump‘s inauguration.

What Happened: According to ABC News, Biden defended the move, citing the importance of protecting public servants from threats and intimidation for performing their duties.

Biden also pardoned members of the House Jan. 6 Committee, including former Congresswoman Liz Cheney, for perceived grievances.

Milley expressed gratitude, highlighting his decades of military service.

“After forty-three years of faithful service in uniform to our Nation, protecting and defending the Constitution, I do not wish to spend whatever remaining time the Lord grants me fighting those who unjustly might seek retribution for perceived slights," General Milley said in a statement per the New York Times. "I do not want to put my family, my friends, and those with whom I served through the resulting distraction, expense, and anxiety."

Fauci was similarly appreciative, and welcomed Biden's action as a protective measure against baseless allegations and threats that were made against him from Trump’s supporters.

"There is absolutely no basis for these threats," Fauci said in his own statement. "Let me be perfectly clear: I have committed no crime and there are no possible grounds for any allegation or threat of criminal investigation or prosecution of me.”

Biden also pardoned police officers who testified before the Jan. 6 committee that Cheney led.

Why It Matters: Trump, on the campaign trail leading up to the 2024 election, promised “retribution” at various campaign rallies against those who wronged him.

Milley notably called Trump a fascist and blasted the president-elect’s conduct.

Now, as president-elect, Trump selected Cabinet nominees who backed his election lies, the Associated Press reported.

"The issuance of these pardons should not be mistaken as an acknowledgment that any individual engaged in any wrongdoing, nor should acceptance be misconstrued as an admission of guilt for any offense," Biden said in a statement. "Our nation owes these public servants a debt of gratitude for their tireless commitment to our country."

What’s Next: Trump is expected to make sweeping pardons in his own right, namely those related to the riots at the capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

Now Read:

• Market Bets On Trump’s Tariff Announcement Plummet, Dollar Falls: What’s Going On?

Image: Shutterstock