President-elect Donald Trump stated on Sunday that members of the House January 6 committee should be incarcerated and suggested that President Joe Biden should consider preemptively pardoning them. This suggestion comes after Biden’s unexpected pardon of his son, Hunter Biden, as lawmakers and advocates intensify their efforts for pardon requests as Biden’s term nears its end.
Trump’s Adversaries: In an NBC interview aired on Sunday, Trump referred to the House January 6 committee members as “political thugs” and “creeps,” and proposed that Biden should “maybe” preemptively pardon them. Reports indicate that the Biden administration is contemplating preemptive pardons in response to Trump’s threats of retribution against his political opponents.
According to Politico, the Biden administration is considering issuing pardons to Trump’s adversaries, including Representatives Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), who served on the House January 6 committee, as well as Anthony Fauci, the former head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. This information comes from unnamed senior Democrats familiar with the discussions.
The discussions have gained urgency following the nomination of Kash Patel as FBI director, as Patel has repeatedly pledged to assist Trump in targeting his political enemies, according to Politico.
Senator Ed Markey (D-Mass.) recently suggested on Boston Public Radio that Biden should preemptively pardon anyone whom President-elect Donald Trump might seek retribution against. This includes prosecutors involved in Trump’s criminal and civil cases, such as New York Attorney General Letitia James and DOJ Special Counsel Jack Smith.