Staff Reports
In a twist that could only be seen in a political circus, former President Joe Biden, moments before he exited the White House, pulled off a last-minute magic trick that would make any middle schooler proud—he pardoned his entire family. This audacious move not only raised eyebrows among Republicans but even sent shivers down the spines of some Democrats, who were quick to throw shade on Biden’s attempts to protect his own. Meanwhile, shortly after the drama unfolded, President Donald Trump kept his promise and issued pardons for those involved in the January 6th dust-up, evoking a predictably mixed bag of reactions from the left.
Senator Tim Kaine expressed his chagrin over Biden’s pardons with an enthusiasm typically reserved for a root canal. He suggested that Biden’s preemptive strike made it quite awkward for Democrats to critique Trump’s actions regarding the January 6 defendants. It’s hard to stand on moral high ground when you’re working from a foundation of family favoritism, no matter how hard Kaine tried. The Democrats seemed to be stuck in a whirlwind of confusion, given that they were getting hit with a double whammy of pardons that they didn’t like but the reasons for which they couldn’t seem to articulate coherently.
Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine told me he's "very disappointed" in outgoing Biden's preemptive pardons for his family members because "I think it's harder to make a critique, to stand on the high ground and make a critique of the Trump pardons on January 6 when President Biden is…
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) January 21, 2025
Representatives from the left, like Rep. Jared Moskowitz, made their feelings clear, distancing themselves from both pardons like two friends at a party who see their exes in the room. Moskowitz lamented the timing and nature of the pardons, seemingly forgetting that one of them was meant to help people avoid serious legal repercussions following a politically charged event. As it turns out, the Democrats were not merely offering up a standard outrage; they were in a statewide pity party where nobody truly liked the snacks.
Even Biden’s long-time pals were less than impressed. Bill Daley, a familiar face in Biden’s circle, unfriendly to the rather cozy blanket of pardons thrown over the family, declared the act “disgusting.” A bid for favoritism among family isn’t just unprecedented; it’s fodder for every conservative writer eager to point out the double standards and elitism rampant in the Biden administration. After all, too much “protection” looks suspicious when the stakes are a legacy mired in legal muck.
Meanwhile, Scott Jennings chronicled the unfolding drama, exclaiming that Trump’s speech was a knockout while Biden’s family pardons were the political equivalent of throwing spaghetti against the wall during a dinner party—everyone is left wondering what the host was thinking. Trump’s timing and boldness immediately left Biden looking like a deer in headlights, as the media struggled to make sense of the entire event without tripping over their own biases. Jennings pointedly ignored attempts at distraction, asserting that Biden had been scheming for ages, presumably creating a psychological profile for how to craft family protection in the heat of political chaos.
The entire situation raised eyebrows not just on Capitol Hill, but also among the American public who might’ve been more focused on how family ties can be manipulated when political pressure mounts. When the dust settles, it won’t just be about a few pardons thrown out during a chaotic moment; the glaring hypocrisy of holding power close to your family in the name of “justice” will face the ultimate accountability from the very Americans who are tired of political games. The maneuvering of both presidents provided ample material for conservative commentary, casting a wide net over the frailness of Democratic integrity and the boldness of Trump’s approach to law and order.
