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Joe Biden has issued preliminary pardons to Anthony Fauci, Liz Cheney and Mark Milley, hours before he hands the US presidency to Donald Trump, who has vowed to take revenge on political enemies.
The outgoing president’s latest move to shield high-profile figures from possible future prosecution comes as Biden has already used his clemency powers on the eve of his departure from the White House.
It also precedes what many expect to be a flurry of activity from Trump once he takes office later Monday.
Trump’s allies, including Steve Bannon, his former strategist, and Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, have called for Fauci, the president’s former top medical adviser, to be prosecuted for his role in overseeing the US response to the Covid pandemic -19.
The incoming president himself retweeted a photo on social media of Fauci wearing an orange jumpsuit, along with other political opponents.
Milley, a former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has a long history of animosity with Trump, warning in the run-up to last year’s election that he was a “fascist to the core”.
On Monday, Milley said he and his family were “deeply grateful” for Biden’s action, adding, “After 43 years of faithful service in uniform to our nation, protecting and defending the constitution, I don’t want to spend any time it is left to God to fight those who may unjustly demand punishment for perceived weaknesses.”
Cheney, a prominent Republican, campaigned for Kamala Harris during last year’s presidential election and served as vice chairman of the congressional investigation into the January 6, 2021 attack on the US Capitol
Trump retweeted a post on his Truth Social page last year that accused Cheney of treason and said: “TELEVIZED MILITARY COURTS IF YOU WANT IT.”
Biden said he was pardoning members of Congress and staff who served on the committee, as well as police officers who testified for him.
“Alarmingly, public servants have been subjected to constant threats and intimidation for faithfully performing their duties,” he said in a statement.
Last year, the outgoing president controversially issued a pardon for Hunter Biden, his son, to save him from possible prison terms related to federal gun and tax convictions, as well as any other possible crimes for which he could be investigated since 2014.
Trump is expected to start his second term by pardoning some of the rebels convicted in connection with the attack on the Capitol, as they tried to stop the certification of Biden’s victory.
The incoming president has vowed to shake up US law enforcement agencies, including the Justice Department and the FBI, during his second term, raising concerns that he will try to use them more proactively to targeting his political and personal opponents.
Trump has often criticized what he characterized as the Justice Department’s “weaponization” against itself in recent years. He faced federal indictments over allegations of mishandling classified documents and his role in trying to overturn election results.
