Joe Biden pardons his family and Dr Anthony Fauci to guard against Trump 'revenge'

In the final moments of his presidency, Joe Biden issued pardons for his siblings and their spouses, stating that his family had “suffered relentless attacks and threats motivated solely to harm me.” He added, “Unfortunately, I have no reason to believe these attacks will stop.”

These family pardons are an unexpected closing act for the Democratic president, who has already taken a series of unprecedented presidential actions. Biden, throughout his half-century political career, has been known as an instinctualist. He also pardoned former U.S. chief medical advisor Anthony Fauci, in anticipation of "retribution" from the incoming administration of Donald Trump.

Furthermore, Biden also pardoned retired General Mark Milley, as well as members of the House committee that investigated the January 6th Capitol attack. In a statement, Biden said, "Issuing these pardons should not be misconstrued as an admission of any wrongdoing by any individual, nor should accepting a pardon be misconstrued as an admission of guilt to any crime."

Biden issued full pardons for his brother James and his wife Sara, his sister Valerie and her husband John Owens, and his brother Francis. These family pardons occurred before noon local time, as Biden was already at the Capitol to watch Trump's inauguration.

Trump had warned that he had a "list of enemies" filled with those who politically opposed him. His list also included those he felt would hold him accountable for his attempts to overturn the 2020 election loss and his role in the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol. "These are extraordinary circumstances, and I can’t in good conscience do nothing," Biden said. "Even if an individual has done nothing wrong—indeed they have done the right thing—and will ultimately be found innocent, the mere fact of being investigated or prosecuted can cause irreparable damage to reputation and finances."

Dr. Fauci served as the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the National Institutes of Health for nearly 40 years, and served as Biden’s chief medical advisor before retiring in 2022. He helped coordinate the nation’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and refused to support Trump’s baseless claims about the disease. Dr. Fauci has become a target of intense hatred and abuse from right-wing figures who have accused him of implementing mask mandates and other policies they believe infringed upon their rights.

Former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley called Trump a fascist and detailed Trump's actions during the January 6th insurrection. Biden also extended pardons to members and staff of the January 6th committee, including Republicans Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger, and U.S. Capitol and Washington D.C. police officers who testified before the committee.

Biden has pledged a smooth transition to the next administration.