The final chapter of Joe Biden’s presidency is shaping up to be a masterclass in establishment politics. As moving boxes pile up in West Wing corridors and staffers update their LinkedIn profiles, the lame-duck administration isn’t quite finished flexing its executive muscle.
After shocking conservatives on December 20th by pardoning his son Hunter from federal gun and tax charges – a move that had Republicans reaching for their blood pressure medication – Biden seems determined to leave no establishment ally behind. The same president who campaigned on “restoring norms” appears to be writing a new playbook for protecting Washington insiders.
In an explosive January 8th interview with USA Today that sent shockwaves through conservative media, Biden revealed his latest scheme to shield key anti-Trump figures from future accountability. The timing couldn’t be more telling, as Trump’s return to the White House looms just 14 days away.
Biden confirmed he’s actively considering issuing preemptive pardons to former Rep. Liz Cheney and Dr. Anthony “I Am The Science” Fauci – two figures who have become lightning rods for conservative criticism.
These wouldn’t be your garden-variety pardons either. They would be preemptive pardons – a rare move used only three times in presidential history – essentially giving them get-out-of-jail-free cards before any charges are even filed.
“I tried to make clear that there was no need, and it was counterintuitive for his interest to go back and try to settle scores,” Biden told USA Today, recounting his November 12th post-election meeting with Trump.
The president-elect’s response? According to Biden, “He didn’t reinforce it. He just basically listened.” (Translation: Trump’s not backing down.)
The potential pardons come as Trump has nominated some serious swamp-draining heavy-hitters for his incoming administration. Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, who successfully prosecuted multiple high-profile corruption cases, is set to take the helm at the Department of Justice.
Meanwhile, former National Security Council official Kash Patel – who helped expose the Russia hoax – has been tapped to lead the FBI. No wonder the DC cocktail circuit is reaching for the antacids.
Trump hasn’t minced words about his plans either. In a December NBC News interview, he declared that Cheney and other January 6 committee members “should go to jail” for what he called their “inexcusable” actions against him and his supporters.
The contrast couldn’t be starker. While Biden contemplates preemptive pardons for his swamp allies, January 6 defendants continue to languish in what many conservatives call “Biden’s gulag.” Trump has promised “major pardons” for these supporters if he returns to office.
“According to the Democrats, ‘No one is above the law,’” noted conservative commentator Mark Levin last week. “Unless, of course, your last name is Biden, Cheney, or Fauci.”
California’s newly-minted Senator Adam Schiff, another potential pardon recipient, reportedly advised against such measures, suggesting they could appear “defensive and unnecessary.” That’s rich coming from someone who spent years pushing Russian collusion fairy tales on cable news.
The move follows Biden’s controversial December 15th decision to commute the sentences of 37 death row inmates, proving once again that in Biden’s America, there’s one system of justice for the political elite and another for everyone else.
Sources: The Post Millennial, The Washington Times, Mail Online
