Biden in Final Hours Pardons Relatives and Others to Thwart Trump Reprisals

It was a disappointing move, ... I was disappointed in it. I think he has spoken so eloquently about the need to preserve the rule of law."

she said, adding

As he was coming into office in 2020, he talked about the idea of Trump pardoning his family and said that it would send a bad message,

the former Biden official said, adding

And I think it’s hard to argue that it didn’t yesterday. I will be totally candid. I think it was disappointing,

she said

I also think you have to recognize that we are now in a Trump 2.0 era where Trump has been very clear that he intends to use the long arm of the government to go after his political enemies, and I can understand why Joe Biden might look at his family and say, ‘I’m going to do everything in my power to protect them on the way out the door,

she said

Well, it concerns me in terms of what kind of precedent it sets and how the rest of the world looks at us as a nation of laws and justice, ... you’re not going to see in our administration that kind of approach to pardons."

Biden told Tapper, later adding

There’s not much risk to Trump in attempting to grant such a blanket pardon. He might issue a sweepingly broad pardon — say, giving Jared Kushner a pass on any federal crimes committed from the moment of his birth until the moment the pardon was issued — with the understanding that, should someone seek to prosecute Kushner, they would have to persuade a court to let them do so,

Bump wrote

Chris Hayesa show, primetime opinion host

The idea of a kind of prospective pardon, this sort of permanent federal Get Out of Jail Free card, That seems to be what we're talking about in the case of this, right

Maddow's MSNBC colleague Chris Hayes said

Joy ReidmSNBC host

Have you ever heard of somebody getting a preemptive pardon who was innocent of all crime, who's just an innocent person? Have you ever heard of that, just somebody getting a blanket pardon and they're an innocent person?"

MSNBC's Joy Reid asked

President Trump has discussed possibility of pardons for family members, ... One source said the conversations in recent days were within the context of a president who feels embattled, and not because Trump believes he or any of his family members had done anything illegal."

NBC News ran the headline ... telling readers

Wolf Blitzeranchor

I certainly would view it that way,

Schiff told Blitzer

In our politics lead now, a source tells CNN that President Trump, the outgoing president, is discussing preemptive pardons for people close to him. That could include his three eldest children, Don jr. Ivanka and Eric, his son in law, Jared Kushner and his personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani, none of whom, as of this afternoon, have been even charged with. much less convicted of any crime,

CNN's Jake Tapper said on air

Rachel MaddowmSNBC host

If you had to build a 2020 time capsule in advance, this is probably something that you would have invented to put into the 2020 time capsule,

MSNBC star Rachel Maddow told viewers with a grin while holding up a copy of the Times report

How much protection can Trump offer his family with his pardon power? A lot."

Washington Post columnist Philip Bump posed a similar question and answer

Wolf Blitzeranchor

Would you see that… as essentially an admission of guilty?"

CNN's Wolf Blitzer asked in a separate interview

David Axelrod (political consultant)lead counsel

The fact is that Trump has been saying this for a long time. That doesn‘t explain why in the last 10 minutes of your presidency you slip a release out there, it just made the whole thing look tawdry,

Axelrod said

Paul J. Fishmanunited States Attorney for the District of New Jersey

Jim and Sara Biden did not seek this pardon because they have never committed any crimes,

said Fishman, a partner at Arnold & Porter

I could have been there just with Tony Bobulinski. I could have been there with Hunter as well. But my brother was never there,

he said

Alexander Vindmanveteran and Trump critic

Whatever happens to my family, know this: No pardons were offered or discussed. I cannot begin to describe the level of betrayal and hurt I feel,

Vindman posted on Bluesky

Jamie Raskinmember

Innocent people are being pardoned in the morning, and guilty people are being pardoned in the afternoon,

the Maryland Democrat Jamie Raskin, and a member of the January 6 committee, told the New York Times

Let me be perfectly clear: I have committed no crime and there are no possible grounds for any allegation or threat of criminal investigation or prosecution of me,

he added