Biden aides mulling preemptive pardons for Dr. Fauci, Liz Cheney and host of Trump critics in his line of fire
Aides of President Joe Biden are debating whether the outgoing Democratic president should issue preemptive pardons for figures President-elect Donald Trump has named as his political enemies.
Politico reported Wednesday that among those being discussed for blanket pardons are former GOP Rep. Liz Cheney, Sen.-elect Adam Schiff and Dr. Anthony Fauci.
Biden - who has been busy dealing with the fallout from his decision to pardon his son Hunter over gun and tax crimes - hasn't been brought into the discussions yet, the outlet said.
White House officials fear that doling out pardons to people who haven't been charged with a crime could suggest impropriety.
But there's also a worry that if Kash Patel is successfully elevated to head of the FBI, Trump could truly go after his critics, as Patel has suggested.
Cheney was one of only two Republican members of the House's select committee on the January 6 Capitol attack.
The daughter of former Republican Vice President Dick Cheney, she became the face of the 'Country over Party' movement during the 2024 election cycle, campaigning alongside eventual Democratic nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris.
Trump has pushed that Cheney 'should go to Jail along with the rest of the Unselect Committee!'
Aides of President Joe Biden are discussing whether he should give blanket pardons to those deemed as enemies to President-elect Donald Trump including former GOP Rep. Liz Cheney (right) seen campaigning alongside Democratic nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris
Others being considered for preemptive pardons, according to Politico, are Dr. Anthony Fauci, who MAGA blames for the bungled pandemic response and Sen.-elect Adam Schiff, who was involved in the original Trump-Russia investigation
Schiff has been a longtime foe of Trump due to his involvment in the Russia investigation as the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee.
The California Democrat was also the lead impeachment manager during Trump's first impeachment, which involved a pressure campaign on the Ukrainian president.
Trump nicknamed the outgoing congressman, who will be sworn-in as California's newest senator come January, 'Shify Schiff' and 'pencil neck.'
Fauci, the former head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, received much of the brunt from conservatives for the Trump administration's bungled response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
One of Trump's top allies on Capitol Hill, GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, has repeatedly called on Fauci to be jailed.
'You should be prosecuted for crimes against humanity. You belong in prison, Dr. Fauci,' she said during one Congressional hearing.
During Trump's first run at the White House, his supporters repeatedly chanted 'lock her up!' about Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton over her decision to use a private email server while serving as secretary of State.
But Trump never took action once in office.
President Joe Biden hasn't been brought into the discussions staff is having about doling out preemptive pardons to Trump's political enemies
In 2024, however, Trump ran on a platform of 'retribution' and revenge.
Politico reported that 'the beneficiaries know nothing' about being considered by the Biden administration for a preemptive pardon.
Schiff said that he wouldn't want to be a recipient.
'I would urge the president not to do that,' Schiff told Politico. 'I think it would seem defensive and unnecessary.'
