Biden issues pre-emptive pardons hours before Trump’s inauguration

Joe Biden pardons Dr Anthony Fauci, Capitol riot investigators and retired General Mark Milley before leaving office

Members of the U.S. military Joint Honor Guard parade as they rehearse ahead of the upcoming presidential inauguration, at the North Lawn in front of the White House in Washington, Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)

US President Joe Biden has pardoned Dr Anthony Fauci, retired general Mark Milley and members of the House committee that investigated the January 6 attack on the Capitol, using the extraordinary powers of his office in his final hours to guard against potential “revenge” by the incoming Trump administration.

The decision by Mr Biden comes after Donald Trump warned of an enemies list filled with those who have crossed him politically or sought to hold him accountable for his attempt to overturn his 2020 election loss and his role in the storming of the US Capitol on January 6 2021.