If former President Joe Biden cares at all about tarnishing his legacy, he’s not showing it as he leaves the White House.
Most Americans were aware that the oft-derided ex-president was going to leave office on Jan. 20 after the results of the 2024 general election.
What many Americans weren’t expecting, however, was for Biden to go on an executive spree in the weeks leading up to his exit.
Between the mass commutations/pardons, peculiar attempts to alter the Constitution via social media (???), divisive rhetoric, and all sorts of other chicanery these final weeks, Biden has all but taken a blowtorch the idea that he is the arbiter of “unity” that he often sold himself as.
And yet despite that lead-up, countless people were still shocked — shocked — when, at the 11th hour, Biden went ahead and preemptively pardoned his family.
The news was announced (though, curiously, the official White House statement appeared to have been scrubbed once President Donald Trump’s team overhauled the White House web site) with just 30 minutes left in his presidency, per reporter Greg Price:
With less than 30 minutes to go until Donald J. Trump becomes the President of the United States, Joe Biden just dropped his final act as President: Pardoning his brothers and sisters for any and all crimes they may have committed since 2014 pic.twitter.com/hJTr8fccbs
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) January 20, 2025
“To all to whom these presents shall come, greeting:,” the statement began.
It continued: “Be it know, that this day, I, Joseph R. Biden, Jr., President of the United States, pursuant to my powers under Article II, Section 2, Clause 1, of the Constitution, have granted unto James B. Biden, Sara Jones Biden, Valeria Biden Owens, John T. Owens, Francis W. Biden
“A full and conditional pardon
“For any nonviolent offenses against the United States which they may have committed or taken part in the during the period from January 1, 2014, through the date of this pardon.
“In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name and caused the seal of the Department of Justice to be affixed.”
As the New York Times laid out, Biden is maintaining his family’s total innocence despite the last-minute pardons.
Biden “emphasized that he did not believe his family did anything wrong, but he feared political attacks by Donald J. Trump.”
“My family has been subjected to unrelenting attacks and threats, motivated solely by a desire to hurt me — the worst kind of partisan politics,” Biden said. “Unfortunately, I have no reason to believe these attacks will end.”
The reason Biden’s remarks are causing such a stir is that the Democratic figurehead literally said he wouldn’t preemptively pardon his family, like many expected Trump to do for his family when the latter first left the Oval Office.
You can watch the wildly viral clip for yourself below:
December, 2020. Jake Tapper asks President-elect Biden about the rumor that Trump may issue some preemptive pardons before leaving office.
Biden: You’re not going to see me do that. ???? pic.twitter.com/YNyS0Qk9yY
— MAZE (@mazemoore) January 20, 2025
Biden flatly claimed, “You’re not going to see” me do that, in 2020.
In 2025? His tune appears to have changed significantly.
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