‘The Funny Thing is, He Didn’t Give Himself a Pardon’

Donald Trump has raised the possibility of pursuing criminal charges against Joe Biden, suggesting that the former president could face prosecution over actions related to his family and the pardons he issued before leaving office.

Biden’s final day in office was spent wrapping up his presidency with an effort to uphold America’s political traditions, something he’d been focused on since taking office in 2021. But while Biden’s farewell included a rather cordial meeting with Donald Trump at the White House, Trump’s first few days back in power have been a different story. Instead of embracing those same norms, the 47th president seems ready to break them, all in the name of settling scores.

During the roughly hour-long interview, Trump seemed to drop a major hint about going after Biden with criminal charges. “This guy is running around giving everyone pardons,” Trump told Hannity. “The funny thing, maybe the sad thing, is he didn’t give himself a pardon,” he added, leaving the statement hanging with a menacing tone.

Biden had indeed pardoned several members of his own family, including his brothers Frank and James Biden, his sister Valerie Biden Owens, and their respective spouses. Biden defended these actions as a response to the relentless partisan attacks aimed at his family. “My family has been subjected to unrelenting attacks and threats, motivated solely by a desire to hurt me,” he said. “The worst kind of partisan politics.”

But Trump was clearly using this as fuel for his own vendetta. He hinted that Biden’s actions, particularly those involving his family, were connected to broader claims of corruption. “If you look at it, it all had to do with him,” Trump said, referring to people around him who were convicted of crimes.

The conversation shifted when Hannity reminded Trump that Biden had promised he wouldn’t issue preemptive pardons during his campaign. Trump responded, “I was given the option, they said, ‘sir, would you like to pardon everybody, including yourself?’ I said I’m not going to pardon anybody.”

Trump also threw in a subtle jab, possibly aimed at his former lawyer Rudy Giuliani, who was ordered to pay damages after defaming election workers. “They’ve lost their nest egg, paying it to lawyers,” Trump quipped.

The comments came amid an ongoing purge of Biden appointees, National Security Council staff, and federal employees who are seen as politically loyal to the previous administration. And any prosecution would likely fall under the purview of Pam Bondi, a Trump loyalist who’s expected to be confirmed as attorney general.

With Democrats still reeling from the aftermath of January 6 and their party’s inability to defeat Trumpism, it seems like this era of political retribution might just be beginning. And with Trump in power again, he’s clearly prepared to take his revenge—no matter the cost.

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