Staff Reports
Joe Biden’s recent departures from traditional presidential pardons certainly grabbed headlines, but it wasn’t surprising to anyone who had been paying attention. It was almost predictable that he would take the opportunity to pardon family members and political allies just as he was exiting the White House. The timing couldn’t have been more calculated, aiming to leave a lasting mark—one that more resembles a bulldozer than a dignified farewell.
Among the myriad of individuals Biden chose to pardon, the absence of figures like Michael Cohen stood out glaringly. Cohen, once a fervent supporter of Biden’s political rival, went on national television pleading for forgiveness, yet he was left empty-handed. Meanwhile, prominent names linked to legal entanglements, such as Alvin Bragg and Jack Smith, also received no reprieve from the departing president. This selective mercy raises questions about the criteria for his family-centric pardons, making one wonder if there’s a deeper psychological need for Biden to demonstrate his own version of loyalty.
🔥MUST WATCH: Trump says Biden made a HUGE mistake not pardoning himself hinting at going after him:
“This guy went around giving everybody pardons, and you know, the funny thing, maybe the sad thing, is he didn’t give himself a pardon….”
pic.twitter.com/itKk9rbWn5— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) January 23, 2025
The spectacle didn’t stop there; the question of whether Biden would pardon himself hung heavy in the air. After all, what could be more emblematic of a politician with a questionable past than a self-pardon? When confronted with the idea, Biden’s response was a dismissive act of bravado, asserting that because he had done nothing wrong, self-pardoning was unnecessary. It appears that pride, or perhaps a twinge of guilt, kept him from going that route, exposing a character flaw wrapped in a veneer of confidence.
Pardoning figures such as Mark Milley and Anthony Fauci, however, raises further eyebrows. Such decisions imply acknowledgment of wrongdoing on some level, yet Biden still fails to connect the dots in his rationale. This is classic Joe Biden behavior—actions that seem to fly in the face of personal integrity or logical consistency stack up quickly in his legacy. The cognitive dissonance is almost painful to witness, as he tries to navigate the absurdity of his dual role as a protector of his party’s dishonored and often controversial figures.
Trump’s pointed comments about Biden not pardoning himself might have turned up the pressure dial on an already simmering pot. The former president hinted that this oversight could open the floodgates for potential legal ramifications. With the door left ajar, the likelihood of Biden’s past actions coming under scrutiny only grows, making it possible for a parade of individuals he pardoned to testify about dealings involving the infamous “Big Guy.” Such scenarios could unravel a tapestry of corruption and influence-peddling that may reach further than anyone can currently imagine, sending shockwaves through the Democratic Party and providing a reality check to those still holding out for Biden’s innocence.
