Biden issues pardons to protect Milley, Fauci, Cheney from Trump retaliation

US President Joe Biden issued pre-emptive pardons on Monday (20 January) for people Republican successor Donald Trump has targeted for retaliation, including former Republican lawmaker Liz Cheney, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley, and former White House chief medical adviser Anthony Fauci.

The pardon covers all lawmakers, including Cheney, who served on the congressional select committee that investigated the 6 January 2021, storming of the US Capitol by Trump supporters, as well as police officers who testified before it.

Trump, who will return to the presidency later on Monday, has repeatedly called for the prosecution of his perceived enemies since winning the White House in November.

Biden praised public servants as the "lifeblood of our democracy." Without mentioning Trump, he expressed alarm that some of them were subjected to threats and intimidation for doing their job.

"These public servants have served our nation with honour and distinction and do not deserve to be the targets of unjustified and politically motivated prosecutions," Biden said in a statement.

Milley said he was "deeply grateful" for Biden's pardon.

Trump in December backed a call for the FBI to investigate fellow Republican Cheney over her role in leading Congress's probe of the 6 January 2021 assault on the US Capitol by his supporters.

Fauci often clashed with Trump during the Covid-19 pandemic, and Trump's supporters have continued to attack the former senior health official.

Milley was quoted in the book "War" by Bob Woodward, which was published last month, calling Trump "fascist to the core" and Trump's allies have targeted him for perceived disloyalty to the former president.

Reuters reported in November that the Trump transition team was drawing up a list of military officers seen as connected to Milley to be fired.

Biden praised both Milley and Fauci as longtime dedicated public servants who have defended democracy and saved lives. He said the select committee established to investigate the 6 January attack on the Capitol had fulfilled its mission with integrity.

Without identifying the individuals, he pardoned all members of Congress who served on the panel, their staff and the US Capitol and Washington, DC police officers who testified before the committee.

Biden said that those pardoned had done nothing wrong, but that simply being investigated or prosecuted could harm reputations and finances.

"I believe in the rule of law, and I am optimistic that the strength of our legal institutions will ultimately prevail over politics," he said. "But these are exceptional circumstances, and I cannot in good conscience do nothing."

The pardons drew immediate criticism from Trump allies including US Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, who said on X the officials were pardoned "because they are GUILTY OF CRIMES".