Just before US President-elect Donald Trump took office on January 20, President Joe Biden granted preemptive pardons to many figures such as Professor Anthony Fauci and General Mark Milley for fear of retaliation.
In a post on social media X on January 20, outgoing President Joe Biden announced a preemptive pardon for former presidential health advisor Anthony Fauci, former Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley, and members, staff, and witnesses of the House committee investigating the attack on the Capitol on January 6, 2021.
Dr. Anthony Fauci testifies before the US Congress in 2022
Biden said the men were dedicated public servants who were threatened with criminal prosecution. “They are public servants who have served our country with honor and distinction and do not deserve to be the targets of unjustified and politically motivated prosecution,” Biden wrote.
Biden did not mention Trump, but the statement came shortly before Trump took office. According to AP, Trump has warned many of his political opponents and those who have sought to impeach him about his efforts to overturn his 2020 election defeat and his role in the January 6, 2021 incident. Many of Trump’s cabinet nominees are supporters of his views on the 2020 election and have pledged to punish anyone involved in investigating the incoming president.
US presidents often issue pardons at the end of their term, but mainly for those who have been convicted, not for those who have not yet been investigated.
President Trump and General Mark Milley at the White House in 2019
Biden noted that the preemptive pardons should not be construed as an admission of wrongdoing by the individuals. “Our country owes these public servants a debt of gratitude for their tireless commitment to our country,” Biden said.
Anthony Fauci, who was the Covid-19 pandemic response coordinator under both Trump and Biden, has been at odds with Trump over the response to the pandemic and has been the target of attacks from the right.
Mark Milley, who served as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff under Trump but later fell out with the leader, thanked Biden for the pardon, which helped him stop worrying about retribution.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/lenh-an-xa-bat-ngo-cua-ong-biden-vai-gio-truoc-le-nham-chuc-cua-ong-trump-185250120204255887.htm
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