US President Joe Biden’s reaction to a speech on employment statistics and economic conditions from the Roosevelt Room at the White House in Washington, USA, on January 10, 2025.
Elizabeth Franz | Reuters
President Joe Biden pardoned Dr. Anthony Fauci on Monday. General Mark Milleymembers of Congress who investigated the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, and others are under threat of being targeted for “baseless” political purposes, he said.
The flurry of preemptive pardons came hours before President-elect Donald Trump called on some of his political opponents. be imprisoned — Inauguration.
“These public servants serve our country with honor and honor and do not deserve to be the subject of unwarranted and politically motivated prosecutions,” Biden said in a press release.
“I believe in the rule of law and am optimistic that ultimately the strength of our judiciary will trump politics. However, this is an exceptional situation and I will not do anything in good conscience. I can’t do that.”
The outgoing Democratic president also said he would pardon officials who served on a House special committee on Jan. 6 and police officers who testified before it.
Biden’s statement emphasized that a pardon “should not be misconstrued as an admission that an individual has engaged in any wrongdoing, nor should acceptance of a pardon be misconstrued as an admission of guilt for any crime.” .
Fauci heads the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and was the face of the U.S. response to the deadly coronavirus pandemic that began under the Trump administration in early 2020. Milley has served as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff since 2019, also under the Trump administration.
Both figures ultimately became pariahs for Trump and his Republican supporters.
Trump and Fauci have been at odds since before the November 2020 election over the then-president’s opposition to public health restrictions advocated by Fauci and other experts.
President Trump in 2023 millie defendant He was charged with treason after reportedly calling Chinese officials during the final stages of the Trump administration to reassure them about the political and military stability of the United States. Millie is defended the call.
“My family and I are deeply grateful for the president’s actions today,” Milley said in a statement late Monday morning.
“Having served my country faithfully for 43 years in uniform, defending the Constitution, I may use the remaining time the Lord has given me to seek unjust retribution for a perceived slight.” “I don’t want to spend it fighting people,” he said.
