Tipsheet

Here's What Biden Said About Preemptive Pardons in 2020

Rebecca Downs
Rebecca Downs  |  January 20, 2025 10:45 AM

Earlier on Monday, for his last day in office, President Joe Biden issued preemptive pardons for Mark Milley, Dr. Anthony Fauci, and members of the January 6 Select Committee. The move had been rumored for over a month now, but is stunning all the same. 

The move is all the more shocking, given what Biden, then President-elect Biden, said in December 2020 about the use of preemptive pardons.

During an interview with CNN's Jake Tapper, Biden was asked about how outgoing President Trump was reportedly considering issuing preemptive pardons, specifically, "Does that concern you?"

"Well, it's, uh, it concerns me in terms of, uh, what kind of precedent it sets and how the rest of the world looks at us as a nation of laws and, uh, and justice. Um, you're not going to see, uh, um, in our administration that kind of approach to pardons, um, nor are you going to see in our administration, uh, that approach to making policy by tweets, um, you know, it's just going to be a totally different way in which we approach the justice system."

Just over four years later, that turned out to be a complete and total lie, with many of Biden's promises having turned out to be completely failed ones. 

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Not only did Biden issue those preemptive pardons on Monday morning, but he had pardoned his son early last month, after he and White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre repeatedly insisted he would not do so. 

The world is not only laughing at us, but is a much less safe place thanks to Biden. It was during the Biden-Harris administration that the catastrophic withdrawal from Afghanistan took place, resulting in the death of 13 U.S. servicemembers, that Russia's Vladimir Putin was emboldened to invade Ukraine, and that Hamas attacked Israel.

Further, Biden himself posted at length from his X account over the weekend insisting that there is now a 28th Amendment to the Constitution to do with the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) because he declared it to be so. The National Archivist has pointed out this is not the case, and many posts were hit with Community Notes. 

Biden of course also used his Department of Justice (DOJ) to go after Trump. Everyday Americans were also targeted, including prayerful pro-lifers, traditional Catholics, and concerned parents showing up at school board meetings.

Biden isn't the only one accused of hypocrisy in this case. RedState's Bonchie highlighted past remarks from now-Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY). 

Such remarks were reported by the Associated Press, also in December 2020. 

Bad Hombre also highlighted how Sen. Adam Schiff (D-CA) spoke out against pardons before. He was one of those members of the Select Committee and was one of the names rumored to be issued a preemptive pardon for some time.