In a classic last-minute political move, Joe Biden issued a round of pardons aimed at shielding key allies from potential legal headaches once President Trump takes office. Among those getting a free pass: Liz Cheney, Dr. Anthony Fauci, and General Mark Milley—names that have become synonymous with Trump-era resistance. But here’s the catch: while the pardons might protect them from criminal prosecution, they don’t get them off the hook when it comes to testifying under oath. And that, my friends, is where things could get very interesting.
Biden’s pardon spree is being spun as an effort to “protect” individuals who “did the right thing,” according to his statement. He claims the investigations into these figures are “baseless and politically motivated.” Well, that’s rich coming from an administration that spent years weaponizing the Justice Department against its political enemies. And despite Biden’s attempt to play the noble defender of the “rule of law,” the reality is clear: this move is about self-preservation, plain and simple.
Jesse Binnall, a federal attorney, pointed out a glaring flaw in Biden’s plan. Since pardons eliminate the risk of self-incrimination, Cheney, Fauci, and others now have no constitutional reason to avoid testifying before Congress. Translation? Jim Jordan and James Comer must be licking their chops at the chance to subpoena these folks and get them to spill the beans. Whether it’s Cheney’s role in the J6 committee’s selective evidence leaks or Fauci’s shifting pandemic narratives, the American people might finally get some real answers.
The pardons are actually great news. No one who was just pardoned will be able to refuse to testify in a civil, criminal, or congressional proceeding based upon the 5th Amendment.
And let’s just be realistic. Most of these disgusting individuals would probably have to be…
— Jesse R. Binnall (@jbinnall) January 20, 2025
For Fauci, the pardon won’t erase years of questionable decisions and conflicting statements during the pandemic. His dismissals of Trump’s policies, his ties to controversial gain-of-function research, and his infamous flip-flopping on masks and lockdowns will likely come under renewed scrutiny. And Cheney? Well, let’s just say that if she thought a pardon would silence questions about her conduct on the J6 committee, she’s in for a rude awakening.
Even former Rep. Adam Kinzinger, one of Cheney’s fellow Trump critics, admitted that accepting a pardon can look bad in the court of public opinion. “As soon as you take a pardon, it looks like you are guilty of something,” Kinzinger told CNN. Well, Adam, you might be onto something there.
In the end, Biden’s pardons might protect his allies from legal jeopardy, but they won’t protect them from having to face the music. And with Trump’s return to the White House, you can bet the music is about to get very, very loud.
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