In a new column, Washington Post deputy editor Ruth Marcus warns President Biden against the idea of preemptively pardoning government officials who have gotten on President-elect Donald Trump's bad side.
Marcus urged the president to slam on the brakes after reports that Biden is considering pardoning Trump's political opponents so the Justice Department cannot go after them when he returns to office. Washington Post columnHe said the move would encourage future presidents to abuse their pardon powers.
”[S]”These actions by Biden set an unfortunate precedent that will likely be repeated by some future presidents seeking to protect allies from retaliation,” she wrote.
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Washington Post deputy editor Ruth Marcus urged President Biden not to pardon Trump, the president-elect's political rival. ((AP Photo/Julia Nickinson and Evan Vucci))
After Biden pardoned his son Hunter Biden for crimes he “committed or may have committed” between January 1, 2014 and December 1, 2024, the president Reports began to circulate that the government was considering preemptively pardoning some of its political opponents.
Politico reported last week that the White House is currently considering pardoning Dr. Anthony Fauci, Sen.-elect Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), and former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.). .
The newspaper noted that White House Counsel Ed Siskel is preparing to discuss a possible pardon with several other senior Biden aides, including Chief of Staff Jeff Zients, but Biden He has not yet participated in the discussion.
Marcus argued that it was not worth preemptively granting pardons, despite Trump's threats to target these and other individuals upon his return.
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Adam Schiff, Anthony Fauci and Liz Cheney are being considered for possible pre-emptive pardons by Biden's aides, according to Politico. (Getty Images)
“Desperate times call for desperate measures. But we do not want President Joe Biden to be so desperate as to grant pre-emptive pardons to government officials and others at risk of prosecution by the incoming Trump administration.” No,” she wrote.
Marcus said it was a “serious prospect” that Trump would target his opponents and that there was a good chance he would abuse his pardon power himself, but stressed that Biden should not bite. .
“However, it is a mistake to grant broad preemptive pardons, no matter how tempting,” she advised, calling it one of the most extensive pardons in U.S. history and raising the bar for more pardons to come. He explained that it was just a stepping stone.
“Such pardons, issued long before any criminal charges are filed, are rare in U.S. history and certainly not on a scale large enough to protect officials from prosecution by the Trump administration. ' added the deputy editor.
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This Nov. 29, 2024 photo shows U.S. President Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden exiting a bookstore while shopping in Nantucket, Massachusetts, on Nov. 29, 2024. Biden formally pardoned Hunter, who was facing sentencing in two criminal cases related to the incident. Tax evasion and firearm purchases. (Mandel Gann/AFP via Getty Images)
Fox News Digital’s Danielle Wallace contributed to this report.
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