“Our nation relies every day on dedicated and selfless public officials; they are the lifeblood of our democracy. But alarmingly, public officials are subject to threats and intimidation for faithfully performing their duty,” said Biden, who also included his brother, sister and brothers-in-law in the preventive pardon. “There are those who have been threatened with criminal charges.”
By The Economist
They fear retaliation against them, which would result in criminal prosecution by Donald Trump and the new administration. For this reason, outgoing President Joe Biden granted preventive pardons to all members of his family, former Chief of Staff Mark Milley, Anthony Fauci, the former head of the White House Covid response, and members and staff of the House Committee that investigated the attack on Congress, including Capitol Police and Capitol Police officers who testified in the investigation.
One episode, that of the attack on Capitol Hill, is also at the center of Trump’s first decisions, who, according to CNN, said he was ready to sign a series of pardons for the attackers among his first actions, as promised during the election campaign. There are nearly 1600 people charged in connection with the violence of January 6, 2021, of whom at least 600 for serious crimes such as assault on police or use of weapons. About 80% of all cases have resulted in guilty pleas or convictions at trial, and about 200 defendants are currently in prison, according to estimates by the Department of Justice.
APOLOGIES ARE BELIEVING
“Our nation relies every day on dedicated and selfless public officials; they are the lifeblood of our democracy. But alarmingly, public officials are subjected to threats and intimidation for faithfully performing their duty,” said Biden, who also included his brother, sister and brother-in-law in the preventive pardon. “There are those who have been threatened with criminal charges,” the outgoing president added, referring to the people he pardoned. “These public servants have served our nation with honor and distinction and do not deserve to be the targets of unjustified and politically motivated judicial persecution.”
Biden specifies that the pardons should not be misunderstood as an admission of wrongdoing, nor should they be understood as an admission of guilt. “Our nation owes these public servants a debt of gratitude for their tireless commitment to our country.”
In his lengthy statement, regarding the former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), Biden emphasizes that “the United States is safer and healthier because of him”, recalling that “he saved countless lives by managing the government’s response. in managing health crises, including HIV/AIDS, Ebola and Zika, and finally “helping the country face the Covid pandemic of the century”. The target of hatred and threats from the novax movement, the Italian-American virologist has long been the subject of investigations and accusations from Republicans and Trump allies who threaten criminal prosecution.
COMPARISON WITH 2017
Numerous world media reported on the inauguration of Donald Trump as a ‘turning point for the world’, talking about the reshaping of his image, the redefinition of global ties and a new era of American leadership, but also a new era of great power competition in a completely new context and with new rules of the game. However, the public opinion approaches it with a somewhat calmer tone, without euphoria and hysteria.
As noted at the beginning of the analysis, the biggest difference between Trump’s first and second inaugurations is where they were held – whether the polar vortex brings a bitter winter, or his speech in front of the Capitol on a mild January day. In 2017, Trump marked his triumph with something more modest inside the building. A closer look at the plans for such a much more modest ceremony offers clues to some of the profound contrasts between Trump’s rise to power in 2017 and 2025.
