Biden trashes what’s left of legacy

Whatever regard remained for Joe Biden’s integrity was trashed on Tuesday AEDT when, exactly 22 minutes before his presidential term ended, he issued pre-emptive unconditional pardons for members of his family for any offences they might have committed dating back to 2014.

With good reason, the outgoing US president’s parting shot at democratic norms has been derided as the “Hunter Biden pardon on steroids”. It included the names of Joe Biden’s brothers, Jim and Frank; Jim’s wife, Sara Jones Biden; their sister, Valerie Biden Owens; and her husband, John Owens.

Hours earlier, Mr Biden used his powers to grant similar unqualified, anticipatory clemency to some prominent Donald Trump critics, including former top soldier and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley; members of the US congress who investigated the US Capitol riot of January 6, 2021, among them Liz Cheney, daughter of former Republican vice-president Dick Cheney; and leading health authority Anthony Fauci.

Explaining the pardons, Mr Biden put them in the context of “unrelenting attacks on his family” and fears of revenge by the incoming Trump administration. “I believe in the rule of law,” he insisted. “But baseless and politically motivated investigations wreak havoc on the lives, safety and financial security of targeted individuals and their families” even when they “have done nothing wrong and will ultimately be exonerated”.

Fair enough. But as The Wall Street Journal pointed out, the timing of the retrospection contained in the clemency granted to Mr Biden’s family members “is important because a House (of Representatives) investigation alleges that Biden family members received money from foreign sources through shadow accounts”.

Mr Trump will do his own legacy a lot of good if he lets the scandalous misuse of lawfare die with the end of the Biden presidency. But he immediately undermined the potency of the case against Mr Biden with his own release and pardon of those involved in the January 6 Capitol riots. Mr Trump would be foolish to play into his opponents’ hands by returning to the retribution he promised against Hillary Clinton in 2016, when he repeatedly threatened to “lock her up” if he won the election. He was wise not to do so then and he would be wise now to avoid falling into any similar trap, however disgruntled he feels about the way lawfare was used against him by the Biden administration.