WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Joe Biden is still deliberating on whether to grant pre-emptive pardons to shield certain public figures from potential retaliation by his Republican predecessor, Donald Trump.
In an interview with USA Today released Wednesday, Biden disclosed that he is contemplating pardons for individuals such as former Republican congresswoman Liz Cheney and former top U.S. health official Dr. Anthony Fauci before his official departure from the White House on January 20th.
Biden revealed that during a White House meeting last month, he advised Trump against carrying out any threats to investigate or prosecute individuals who had criticized him or taken part in his impeachment proceedings. “I tried to make it clear that there was no necessity, and it was counterproductive to his own interests, to revisit past disputes,” Biden stated.
When asked about Trump’s response to his counsel, Biden remarked, “He didn’t explicitly reject it. He didn’t reaffirm it. He simply listened.”
The President, a member of the Democratic Party, indicated that his final decision regarding the pardons would be influenced to some extent by Trump’s selections for key administrative roles.
Trump has previously pledged retaliation against his political adversaries. In December, he endorsed an initiative for the FBI to probe Cheney, a fellow Republican, for her involvement in leading Congress’s investigation into the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol by his supporters.
Throughout the course of the coronavirus pandemic, Fauci frequently clashed with Trump, and loyalists of the former President have continued to criticize the former senior health official.
Reports from last month revealed that Biden’s aides have been in discussions regarding pre-emptive pardons for individuals targeted by Trump. Apart from Cheney and Fauci, U.S. Senator Adam Schiff, who spearheaded the first impeachment drive against Trump, and retired Gen. Mark Milley, the former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, are also reportedly under consideration for pre-emptive pardons.
(Reporting by Doina Chiacu; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)
