In a move that reeked more of self-interest than statesmanship, outgoing President Joe Biden wrapped up his tenure with a clemency spree that broke records—and not in a good way. Pardoning 39 individuals and commuting the sentences of 1,500 more in a single day, Biden made sure to leave a lasting impression, though perhaps not the kind he intended. This historic act of leniency came hot on the heels of his highly controversial decision to pardon his son, Hunter Biden, for a decade of federal offenses. While the White House framed the move as part of a noble crusade to reform outdated sentencing laws, critics see it as yet another example of Biden bending the system to suit his needs and those of his inner circle.
The beneficiaries of Biden’s clemency include individuals who had been serving sentences under house arrest, a policy initiated during the pandemic to reduce prison overcrowding. Biden claimed that these individuals were fully rehabilitated, reintegrated into their communities, and deserving of a second chance. However, details about their alleged rehabilitation remain conspicuously absent, leaving the public to take his word for it—something not many are inclined to do these days. Adding to the murkiness, the administration has yet to release the names of those who received pardons or commutations, a lack of transparency that only fuels suspicions about the true motivations behind this move.
The president’s sweeping gesture was ostensibly aimed at addressing harsh sentences for non-violent drug offenders, but the scale and timing of the clemency have raised more than a few eyebrows. Biden himself hinted that this is just the beginning, suggesting more pardons are on the horizon. Names like Adam Schiff, Liz Cheney, and Anthony Fauci have already surfaced as potential beneficiaries of Biden’s last-minute mercy. Critics argue that this clemency spree is less about justice and more about shielding political allies from the repercussions of Donald Trump’s incoming administration, which has vowed to hold key figures accountable for what it views as years of political malpractice.
Of course, no discussion of Biden’s clemency blitz would be complete without mentioning the elephant in the room: his pardon of Hunter Biden. Despite repeatedly promising not to meddle in the justice system, Biden’s decision to absolve his son of federal crimes has been a public relations disaster for the Democratic Party. Even his most loyal supporters are finding it hard to defend the move, especially in light of the president-elect’s pointed criticism. Donald Trump wasted no time calling out the hypocrisy, asking whether the January 6th protesters deserve the same leniency as Hunter Biden. Trump has also pledged to pardon these individuals on his first day in office, a promise that has further endeared him to his base.
While Biden and his allies may attempt to spin this clemency spree as a triumph of justice and fairness, the political undertones are hard to ignore. For many, it appears to be a thinly veiled effort to rewrite his legacy in the final moments of a presidency riddled with controversy. As he prepares to step aside, Biden leaves behind a Democratic Party scrambling to justify his actions while bracing for the political maelstrom that Trump’s return to power is certain to unleash.
