Biden issues preemptive pardons for Trump targets Milley, Fauci, Cheney
Biden issues preemptive pardons for Trump targets Milley, Fauci, Cheney
reuters.com
WASHINGTON, Jan 20 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden issued pre-emptive pardons on Monday for people Republican successor Donald Trump has targeted for retaliation, including former Republican lawmaker Liz Cheney, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley and former White House chief medical advisor Anthony Fauci. The pardon covers all lawmakers, including Cheney, who served on the congressional select committee that investigated the Jan. 6, 2021, storming of the U.S. Capitol by Trump supporters, as well as police officers who testified before it.
WASHINGTON, Jan 20 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden issued pre-emptive pardons on Monday for people Republican successor Donald Trump has targeted for retaliation, including former Republican lawmaker Liz Cheney, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley and former White House chief medical advisor Anthony Fauci. The pardon covers all lawmakers, including Cheney, who served on the congressional select committee that investigated the Jan. 6, 2021, storming of the U.S. Capitol by Trump supporters, as well as police officers who testified before it.
However good in intention this isn't good. Trump's people will act without regard for law knowing he can issue preemptive pardons.
They were gonna do that anyway
I agree with the concern, but for different reason. This sets the standard for future presidencies. Imagine if Trump starts proactively pardoning people who might be political targets in the future. It removes the concern that your current actions might be determined to be in detriment in future considerations. Doesn't matter anymore, because as long as you do what the current president wants, he/she/they will simply provide you a future pardon to protect you from the consequences of your actions!
While I don't think Fauci did anything wrong or should be targeted, this is overall a very bad precedent to set.
Edit: I misread that last part, sorry. I do, however, think that this concern goes beyond Trump's presidency.
That seems like the same reason as previous post