The presidential pardon power has always sparked debate, but the media’s reaction to its use often reveals glaring double standards. When Joe Biden issued a sweeping series of pardons — including controversial preemptive pardons for members of his own family and close political allies — much of the press downplayed or justified the decisions.
Analysts and reporters tied themselves in rhetorical knots explaining why those pardons were somehow above board. Yet the moment Donald Trump exercises the same constitutional authority, the media instantly frames it as an abuse of power, regardless of the merits or context.
On CNN’s “The Arena,” several panelists tried their best to paint Trump’s use of the pardon power as corrupt or transactional. But Scott Jennings, CNN’s resident conservative voice, cut through the partisan noise. Jennings pointed out what the media won’t: the transparency of Trump’s pardons and the accountability behind them.
“It’s being done out in the open. It’s being done in the light of day,” Jennings said. “We’re not doing it at the 11th hour here… And I might add, I don’t think there’s any doubt who’s actually signing these pardons, you know.”
That last line wasn’t just a jab; it was a direct contrast with Biden’s deeply suspect use of the pardon power. As Jennings noted, Biden’s pardons at the end of his first term were mass-issued, often without clarity on whether Biden himself was involved at all.
“At the end of Biden’s term, we had thousands of people that were pardoned… I have my doubts about whether Joe Biden signed all of those,” he said.
Jennings was referring, at least in part, to credible reports — highlighted in recent books and investigations — that suggest that the final months of Biden’s presidency were effectively run by a cabal of aides acting as a “politburo,” with Biden barely functioning as a decision-maker and key executive orders and pardons signed by autopen. That alone should raise far more alarm than Trump’s explicit, unapologetic exercise of his constitutional powers.
Related: Democrats Have No Credibility on Presidential Pardons
For what it’s worth, CNN analyst Elliot Williams conceded that Biden’s team ignored guidance from the Justice Department’s pardon attorneys, which undermines any claim that the administration made his clemency decisions responsibly. “Joe Biden’s folks didn’t really do a great job of following the pardon attorneys’ advice either,” he admitted.
In contrast, Trump has made no secret of the fact that these are his decisions. And as Jennings pointed out, he’s not hiding behind bureaucrats or issuing clemency in the shadows. He’s owning it. Love his decisions or hate them, you know that they are his.
Kristen Soltis Anderson also observed that while most presidents save controversial pardons for the waning hours of their tenure, Trump isn’t playing that game: “He’s doing it now, and it’s because he believes, I think correctly, that he won’t pay a big political price for it.” That’s not cynicism; it’s clarity. Trump knows who he’s pardoning and why, and unlike Biden, he’s present for the decision-making.
The left’s outrage isn’t about pardons themselves — it’s about who’s holding the pen. And at least with Trump, we know exactly who that is.
