President Joe Biden shocked the nation with the announcement of a generous and sweeping pardon for his son, convicted criminal Hunter Biden.
But the latest pardon rumors are even worse, as it was reported by several media outlets, including NBC News, that Biden is now considering "preemptive" pardons for a number of President-elect Donald Trump's critics.
The outlet reported that the president and his administration are considering preemptive pardons because they fear "retribution" by Trump for certain political figures.
Some of those pardons could be issued for "Senator-elect Adam Schiff, D-Calif., Dr. Anthony Fauci and former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY)" according to the outlet.
The outlet noted that there are some "Never Trump" Republicans and Democrats who fully support the idea of preemptively pardoning some of Trump's top critics from both sides.
Liberals should be ashamed. Biden is reportedly considering issuing preemptive pardons that could include Liz Cheney, Anthony Fauci, and Adam Schiff. Trump has never said one thing about retribution. The pardon list is telling, all of them are criminals. pic.twitter.com/Y2VsNjW49L
— Scott Adams (@scottadamsshow) December 5, 2024
Many have argued that preemptive pardons is essentially an admission of guilt for the people who would receive such a rare privelege.
While super rare, they have been issued in the past from presidents from both sides of the aisle.
NBC News noted:
Previous presidents have issued such pardons, including George H.W. Bush for former Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger over his role in the Iran-Contra scandal; Gerald Ford for former President Richard Nixon in the wake of the Watergate scandal; Jimmy Carter for Vietnam War draft dodgers; and Abraham Lincoln for ex-Confederate soldiers.
The outlet then went on to talk about some of the things Trump has said about the aforementioned people and others, fearing Trump could retaliate once he's in office.
Many across social media were furious with the idea of issuing preemptive pardons for certain Trump critics. Some said it should be illegal to issue such a pardon before the person has even been charged with a crime.
"The only time to pardon someone is after they have been convicted," one X user wrote.
Another X user wrote, "Presidential pardons should be limited to individuals charged and convicted of crimes PRIOR to the pardon. Congress needs to change the law to prevent pardons for crimes not yet adjudicated."
Only time will tell if Biden actually goes through with it, and what the ramifications will be if he does.
