Biden says in USA Today interview that he has not yet made decision about issuing preemptive pardons

President Joe Biden said he had not made a decision about issuing preemptive pardons before leaving office, leaving the door open to an unprecedented move to protect some of his allies as he warned President-elect Donald Trump against trying to “settle scores.”

President Joe Biden said he had not made a decision about issuing preemptive pardons before leaving office, leaving the door open to an unprecedented move to protect some of his allies as he warned President-elect Donald Trump against trying to “settle scores.” CNN has previously reported senior Biden White House aides, administration officials and prominent defense attorneys in Washington, DC, are discussing potential preemptive pardons or legal aid for people who might be targeted for prosecution by Trump after he retakes power, according to multiple sources. In an interview with USA Today’s Susan Page published Wednesday, Biden confirmed that he was open to the idea but a decision had not been made. Biden said he told Trump during their Oval Office meeting shortly after the president-elect’s November victory that “there was no need, and it was counterintuitive for his interest to go back and try to settle scores.” Biden suggested that Trump did not offer a response one way or the other. Pressed by Page on whether a decision had been made during the Sunday interview, Biden said, “No, I have not.”