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WASHINGTON ― President Joe Biden confirmed on Friday that he has no intention of issuing a preemptive pardon for himself while contemplating the possibility of pre-pardoning allies of President-elect Donald Trump. He expressed concern over the potential for politically motivated investigations from the Trump administration targeting these individuals.
Responding to questions about self-pardoning, Biden stated, “What would I pardon myself for? No, I have no contemplation of pardoning myself for anything. I didn’t do anything wrong.” This statement comes amidst Biden’s recent pardon of his son, Hunter Biden, for tax evasion and gun-related offenses.
In an exclusive interview with USA TODAY, the President mentioned that he is still weighing the decision to pre-pardon individuals who may be susceptible to Trump-related investigations, such as former Rep. Liz Cheney and Dr. Anthony Fauci.
The Trump administration’s rhetoric about pursuing legal ramifications against political adversaries heightens the stakes of this situation.
While addressing the media, Biden highlighted the complexities involved in preemptively pardoning individuals who have yet to face charges, which could raise significant legal implications that may dissuade him from proceeding with such actions.
Reflecting on his administration’s achievements, Biden noted a drop in the employment rate from 4.2% to 4.1% in December, emphasizing his administration’s focus on job creation.
More: Regrets, precedent and legacy: 7 takeaways from Biden’s exclusive interview with USA TODAY
Biden Criticizes Meta’s Fact-Checking Decision
President Biden condemned Meta Platforms’ recent decision to abolish its fact-checking initiatives across its major platforms, which include Facebook, Instagram, and Threads. This move occurs as Trump prepares for a potential return to the White House.
He emphasized the importance of truthfulness in public discourse, calling the dissemination of false information “contrary to everything America is all about.” Biden expressed concern that allowing unchecked misinformation to proliferate could have dire repercussions.
Biden remarked, “The idea that a billionaire can buy something and say, ‘By the way, from this point on, we aren’t going to fact-check anything,’ is really shameful,” highlighting the implications of having vast audiences exposed to unreliable information.
Amidst these changes, Meta is also altering its content guidelines on sensitive subjects such as immigration and gender identity, a shift that has raised further concerns.
Instead of a structured fact-checking process, Meta plans to adopt a “community notes” system, akin to approaches used by other social media platforms, which may not offer the same level of reliability in combating misinformation.
More: Why Meta went MAGA: Inside Mark Zuckerberg’s reset with Donald Trump
‘I Think I Would Have Beaten Trump’
When discussing the 2024 election, Biden expressed confidence that he could have won against Trump had he remained in the race, reflecting on the pressures that led him to withdraw last July following a challenging debate performance.
Responding to inquiries about regrets regarding his re-election campaign, he asserted, “I think I would have beaten Trump. I think Kamala could have beaten Trump,” emphasizing the importance of party unification at the time of his decision.
Biden concluded by indicating that he intends to remain involved in public life post-presidency. “I’m not going to be out of sight or out of mind,” he affirmed.
Contributing: Reuters
Reach Joey Garrison on X @joeygarrison.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Biden says he won’t pardon himself before leaving White House
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