President Trump repeatedly suggested Wednesday that former President Biden made a mistake by not pre-emptively granting a pardon before leaving office.
During a sit-down interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity, President Trump was peppered with questions about whether Biden should be investigated. But Trump has repeatedly suggested that Biden should have used his pardon power to protect himself.
“This man went around giving forgiveness to everyone,” he said. “And the funny thing, and probably the sad thing, is that he didn't pardon himself. And when you look at it, it was all about him.”
Trump later said Biden had received “very bad advice.”
“Joe Biden has some very bad advisers. Someone advised Joe Biden to pardon everyone but himself,” Trump said.
President Trump told Hannity that lawmakers would preemptively pardon Biden, his family and Trump critics, including retired Gen. Mark Milley, former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) and members of a House committee. He said he would leave it to Congress to decide whether his decision should be investigated. This is an investigation into the attack on the Capitol on January 6th.
In announcing these pardons, Biden said he was concerned that these individuals would be subject to politically motivated investigations.
The president also suggested that Biden and other critics would have to endure the same legal battles they faced over the past two years after being indicted in New York, Georgia, Florida and Washington, D.C.
President Trump said of his legal battle: “I went through four years of hell because I had to deal with these scumbags. I went through four years of hell.” “I spent millions of dollars on legal fees and won the case. But I did it the hard way. It's really hard to say they don't have to go through the trial, too. It’s very difficult to say.”
President Trump also revealed that he was given the option to pardon Hannity upon leaving the White House during his first term, but he declined.
“I was given a choice. They said, “Sir, would you please pardon everyone, including yourself?'' I said, “I'm not going to forgive anyone.''
