Staff Reports
In a move that can only be described as a “pardon-palooza,” Joe Biden decided to grant clemency to an array of individuals who may as well be contestants on the left’s version of “Survivor.” Just as the outgoing president is about to leave the White House, he has rolled out the red carpet of forgiveness for Dr. Anthony Fauci, Gen. Mark Milley, and a slew of participants from the January 6 Committee, all of whom seem suspiciously connected to Donald Trump’s “enemies list.” Apparently, the last-minute pardons are the new official “thank you for your service” in Biden’s world, though there’s a strong suspicion that the gratitude feels much more like an escape plan.
Biden is clearly a master of the preemptive pardon, which conveniently allows him to ensure that certain family members—like his scandal-plagued son Hunter—can avoid their own watery grave of accountability. The type of rhetoric surrounding these pardons is so convoluted that it sounds like it was crafted in an alternate universe where logic is simply an optional accessory. The outgoing president hinted that he’s using his powers on behalf of people facing “imagined crimes,” which begs the question: just how many imaginary friends are involved in this circus?
Congressman Chip Roy wants to bring J6 Committee Members (Liz Cheney, Adam Kinzinger, Adam Schiff, Bennie Thompson, Jamie Raskin, staffers, etc), Anthony Fauci & Mark Milley before Congress to testify to "test the constitutional reach" of Biden's Presidential Pardons pic.twitter.com/2apJDGEgpk
— Kylie Jane Kremer (@KylieJaneKremer) January 20, 2025
In the spirit of “anything goes” during a liberal administration, Biden claims that these pardons do not equate to an admission of guilt—only that they owe their recipients a “debt of gratitude.” However, it seems a stretch to consider granting pardons to individuals who have been at the epicenter of multiple controversial political storm clouds as acts of mercy. While conventional wisdom dictates that presidents use their clemency powers to help ordinary Americans, it appears Biden has chosen to buffet his allies while throwing responsibility for actual wrongdoing off the table like last week’s takeout.
The list of pardoned figures includes Fauci, infamous for unleashing a torrent of confusion during the pandemic, and Milley, who displayed his own brand of political acuity more suited to a soap opera than military leadership. And let’s not forget the January 6 Committee members, especially those whose facial expressions alone suggested they were fans of an ongoing Trump meltdown. Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger hardly viewed the committee as a search for truth but instead turned it into their very own personal vendetta against Trump—acting like they were at a political roast instead of a serious inquiry.
Biden’s farewell show is not just about paving the way for a smooth transition but rather a distorted rendition of a party that is more concerned about maintaining a grip on power than upholding any semblance of justice or accountability. He has issued a warning—perhaps in vain—of a “growing oligarchy,” but his last-minute, boundary-pushing pardons seem to merely reinforce the very political machine he is supposedly against. If the goal was to sail off into the sunset with the attached hull of his controversial companions, it’s safe to say this administration is about as far from tradition as one can get.
As this story develops, one can only hope that voters are paying attention. The notion behind pardoning individuals who represent the very decline of institutional trust is bound to provoke a reaction, potentially shaping the future political discourse for years.
