President Joe Biden, under House investigation throughout his term over allegations he and his family reaped millions from influence-peddling during his time as a senator, vice president, and private citizen, said Friday he will not issue a preemptive pardon for himself.
“Myself? Why should I pardon myself?” Biden told reporters at the White House, according to the Washington Examiner. “No, I have no contemplation of pardoning myself. I didn’t do anything wrong.”
Last month, Biden pardoned his son Hunter Biden for federal felony gun and tax convictions, and for any crimes he committed or might have committed from Jan. 1, 2014, to Dec. 1, 2024.
Biden has indicated he is considering pre-emptive pardons for former Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., vice chair of the Democrat-controlled House select committee that investigated the events of Jan. 6, 2021, Dr. Anthony Fauci, former head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and others who might be targeted by President-elect Donald Trump’s administration.
Biden, who is set to give a farewell address to the nation at 8 p.m. Wednesday from the Oval Office, said he will still be in the public eye after he leaves office.
“I’m not going to be out of sight or out of mind,” said Biden, 81, the oldest-serving president in U.S. history.
He also was asked whether he regretted his decision to step down as the Democratic Party nominee last summer. He maintained that if he stayed in the race, he and Vice President Kamala Harris “could have beaten Trump.”
“I didn’t want to be one who caused a party that wasn’t unified to lose an election,” he said, according to the Examiner. “And that’s why I stepped aside. But I was confident she could win.”
Michael Katz ✉
Michael Katz is a Newsmax reporter with more than 30 years of experience reporting and editing on news, culture, and politics.
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