President Biden previously pledged that it would not be issued Preemptive amnesty Before leaving office, he told CNN that he would take a “completely different approach” to the justice system than then-President Trump.
In December 2020, CNN anchor Jake Tapper asked Biden if he was concerned about rumors that Trump would issue a wave of preemptive pardons for some of his closest associates.
“Well, that's what concerns me in terms of what kind of precedent it will set in how the rest of the world views us as a nation of law and justice,” he said.
Biden commutes nearly 2,500 additional sentences in final days of presidency
Biden issued several preemptive pardons for prominent Donald Trump critics on Monday. (From left to right: (Photo by: William B. Plowman/NBC via Getty Images), (Photo by Mandel Ngan – Pool/Getty Images), (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images), (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)))
Biden later tried to differentiate how he would govern versus the Trump administration.
“You won't see this kind of approach to pardons in our administration,” Biden said. “You also won't see in our administration an approach to making policy through tweets. You know, it will be a very different way of approaching the justice system,” he added.
Since then, Biden appears to have changed his mind, issuing a slew of preemptive pardons on his way out the door.
Biden commutes the sentences of 37 federal inmates on death row in the final month of the presidency
President Biden said he is considering a preemptive pardon depending on who President-elect Donald Trump nominates for key positions. (Getty Images)
Biden announced early Monday that he would issue preemptive pardons to Dr. Anthony Fauci, retired Gen. Mark Milley, and members and staff of the now-defunct House Select Committee on the Jan. 6 Capitol attack.
Before President Trump was sworn in on Monday, news emerged that Biden had also issued a pardon For five other members From his family.
Biden raised the possibility of issuing a preemptive pardon weeks ago in an interview with USA Today. At the end of his term, pardoning Biden proved to be one of his most controversial actions as president, particularly the pardon of his son Hunter Biden last month.
Some Republicans have indicated that they… We want to investigate the amnesty.
Click here for more media and cultural coverage
Joe Biden previously said he would not issue a preemptive pardon as president. (CNN/Screengrab)
Trump, the next president, has pardoned his political allies such as Paul Manafort and Michael Flynn. However, unlike Biden's recent decision, both had been charged by the Department of Justice when this pardon was issued.
However, there is precedent for a preventive pardon. Former President Gerald Ford proactively Pardoning Richard Nixon After the Watergate scandal.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Fox News' Anders Hagstrom contributed to this report.
