As former President Joe Biden made his exit from office, he issued a series of controversial preemptive pardons. He gave the first ones to Gen. Mark Milley, Dr. Anthony Fauci, and members of the January 6 Select Committee. It’s been rumored for some time that Biden was going to do this, and it wasn’t particularly shocking that he waited until literally his final day in office to do so.
But the preemptive pardons didn’t stop there. Mere minutes before Donald Trump was set to take the oath of office, Biden granted yet another round of pardons — this time to members of his own family. The pardons felt like a stunning admission that members of his family committed crimes and that Joe felt obliged to protect his family members before losing his presidential pardon powers.
I dare say it was the entire point of his decision to run for president in the first place. But these preemptive pardons once again expose the blatant hypocrisy of Democrats and their tendency to accuse Republicans of crimes that they themselves are guilty of.
Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) has been vocal in the past about presidential pardons, especially during Trump’s first term.
“If the President issues a pardon in a case in which he or his family are implicated, the American people need to know whether it is part of an attempt to obstruct justice,” Schiff said back in 2018 when he’d proposed new legislation to reform presidential pardon powers. “This bill would make that possible and serve as a powerful deterrent.”
If the President issues a pardon in a case in which he or his family are implicated, the American people need to know whether it is part of an attempt to obstruct justice. This bill would make that possible and serve as a powerful deterrent. pic.twitter.com/kvIeORqvC3
— Adam Schiff (@AdamSchiff) April 19, 2018
Schiff continued to pursue the issue of abusing presidential pardon powers during Trump’s first term.
“The power to pardon can be used to right a wrong, give people a second chance, or provide leniency when it's deserved,” he said in a post on X back in 2020. “Or, if you're Trump, it can be abused to reward a crony who lied to cover up your misconduct. We must prevent future abuse of the pardon power. And we will.”
Related: Biden's Final Act As President Was a Massive Cover-Up for the Biden Crime Family
It’s an ironic statement because had Democrats reformed presidential pardon powers when they had the presidency, House, and Senate (as they did from January 2021 to January 2023, Joe Biden wouldn’t have been able to abuse the pardon the way he has since the 2024 election. Schiff continued this crusade through the end of Trump’s first term.
“Donald Trump has repeatedly abused the pardon power to reward friends and protect those who covered up for him,” he said mere weeks after the 2020 election after Trump pardoned Michael Flynn who was ensnared in the bogus Russian collusion hoax.
Have you seen the reaction — or lack thereof — from Schiff about the preemptive pardons Biden issued today?
Spoiler alert: you haven't because he's said nothing. Schiff’s silence on Biden’s 11th-hour pardons is deafening but not unexpected. In addition to being a critic of alleged pardon abuse, Schiff received a preemptive pardon as a member of the partisan January 6 committee.
And in December 2020, Schiff said that he agreed that no innocent person would ever get a preemptive pardon.
December, 2020. Joy Reid: Have you ever heard of somebody getting a preemptive pardon who is an innocent person?
— MAZE (@mazemoore) January 20, 2025
Adam Schiff: No.
Today Adam Schiff got a preemptive pardon. pic.twitter.com/s83ghqk0rs
Sure, it's inauguration day, and maybe other issues are getting more coverage — but we'll have to see if the media call him out for this and what crazy explanation he'll give. One thing is for sure: it’s impossible to ignore the double standard at play when Democrats are always mum about shady actions when they’re committed by members of their own party.
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