In his final hours in office, President Joe Biden has granted pardons to Dr. Anthony Fauci, General Mark Milley, and members of the House committee investigating the January 6th Capitol attack, using his executive powers to shield them from potential “revenge” by the incoming Trump administration.
This decision follows Donald Trump’s warning about a “list of enemies,” targeting those who politically opposed him or held him accountable for his failed attempt to overturn the 2020 election results and his role in the Capitol insurrection.
Trump has selected Cabinet candidates who supported his election lies and pledged to punish those involved in investigating him.
Dr. Fauci, who led the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases for nearly 40 years and served as Biden’s chief medical advisor until his retirement in 2022, became a target of Trump’s wrath after refusing to back the former president’s baseless claims. Fauci’s leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic has made him a controversial figure among right-wing critics who blame him for mask mandates and other policies they view as infringements on personal rights during a period when tens of thousands of Americans died.
Meanwhile, Mark Milley, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, publicly condemned Trump’s actions surrounding the January 6th insurrection and described Trump’s behavior as “fascist.”
