According to a report by Politico, senior aides to outgoing U.S. President Joe Biden are reportedly holding internal discussions about whether to issue preemptive pardons for current and former public officials who may be targeted by president-elect Donald Trump.
Senior Democrats involved in the talks have expressed concern following Trump’s appointment of Kash Patel as FBI head, a move that has raised alarm among Biden’s team, as Patel has publicly pledged to target government officials who have been critical of Trump.
Organized by White House counsel Ed Siskel, the Biden administration is reportedly considering pardons for both current and former elected and appointed officials who may be targeted by president-elect Donald Trump.
While Chief of Staff Jeff Zients and other senior aides are involved in the discussions, President Biden, who has been focused on his son Hunter’s pardon, has not yet been brought into the deliberations. A senior Democrat informed Politico that the potential pardon recipients are unaware of the plans as well. However, issuing blanket pardons could present challenges, particularly for those who haven’t committed any crimes, as it might fuel Trump’s corruption accusations, and some individuals could even reject the pardons.
Politico also reported that Senator-elect Adam Schiff and former GOP Representative Liz Cheney, both members of the January 6 committee, could face retaliation from Trump once he assumes power.
Trump has previously stated that Liz Cheney “should go to jail along with the rest of the Unselect Committee!”
Another individual being considered for a pardon is Dr. Anthony Fauci, the former head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, who faced significant criticism from the right wing during the COVID-19 pandemic.
A White House spokesperson declined to comment on the matter but did not deny that discussions were taking place, according to Politico. While President Biden continues to face backlash for pardoning his son, Democratic officials remain divided on whether granting pardons to others who could become targets of Trump’s anger would be a wise decision.
Democratic Senator Ed Markey expressed support for the idea, drawing a parallel to former President Gerald Ford’s preemptive pardon of Richard Nixon.
“If it’s clear by January 19 that [revenge] is his intention, then I would recommend to President Biden that he provide those preemptive pardons to people, because that’s really what our country is going to need next year,” Markey said during an interview with a Boston radio station.
