President Joe Biden announced that he will not issue a preemptive pardon for himself, stating emphatically that he has done nothing wrong. However, he is contemplating the unprecedented step of pre-pardoning adversaries of President-elect Donald Trump. Biden addressed the media after discussing his administration’s achievements in job creation, highlighting a drop in the employment rate from 4.2% to 4.1% in December.
Biden recently pardoned his son, Hunter Biden, from charges of tax evasion and gun-related felonies. Now, he is evaluating whether to extend preemptive pardons to individuals targeted by Trump and his allies. These potential targets include former Representative Liz Cheney and Dr. Anthony Fauci, among others. Biden expressed confidence in his ability to have defeated Trump had he not withdrawn from the presidential race last July, a sentiment he echoed in a recent USA TODAY interview.
"What would I pardon myself for? No, I have no contemplation of pardoning myself for anything. I didn’t do anything wrong.” – Joe Biden
Biden emphasized the importance of truthfulness in public discourse, condemning the spread of falsehoods as an affront to American values. His comments came amid concerns over Meta Platforms' decision to eliminate fact-checking programs from its social media sites, including Facebook, Instagram, and Threads.
"We want to tell the truth. We haven't always done it in our nation. But we want to tell the truth," – Joe Biden
"And the idea that a billionaire can buy something and say, 'By the way, from this point on, we aren't going to fact-checking anything.' And, you know, when you have millions of people going online and reading this stuff ‒ I think it's really shameful." – Joe Biden
In his post-presidency plans, Biden intends to remain active and visible, suggesting that Vice President Kamala Harris could have also successfully challenged Trump. Meanwhile, Trump and some of his supporters have indicated their intent to pursue legal actions against political opponents and those who have investigated his alleged misconduct.
As Biden reflects on his tenure, he takes pride in his administration's accomplishments, particularly in the realm of employment. The recent decline in the unemployment rate is a testament to the robust economic policies implemented under his leadership.
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