Obama Advisor and CNN Call Out Biden’s Last-Minute Pardons ‘Stain on his Legacy’ [WATCH]

Former President Joe Biden is facing scrutiny for issuing last-minute pardons to members of his family just moments before President Donald Trump was sworn in at the Capitol Rotunda on Monday.

The pardons, which included Biden’s brothers James and Frank, sister-in-law Sara Biden, and sister Valerie Biden Owens along with her husband John Owens, were widely criticized during CNN’s coverage.

BREAKING: Biden has pardoned his family pic.twitter.com/5xdy8CPTQk

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CNN’s John King described Biden’s actions as “unseemly” and argued that the former president should have addressed the American people directly to justify his decision.

“If you’re going to do it, have the courage to do it in the light of day and explain it to the American people,” King said.

“It’s a stain on his legacy to do it like this. We can have an argument on ‘is it necessary, has Donald Trump promised retribution?’ Yes, he is. But… have the courage to look the American people in the eye and explain what you’re doing.”

David Axelrod, a former adviser to President Barack Obama, echoed King’s sentiment, suggesting the timing of the pardons made the decision appear suspicious.

“The way it was done suggests that there was something wrong with doing it. He tried to slip it in in the final minutes,” Axelrod said.

“But the fact is, Trump has been saying this for a long time. That doesn’t explain why in the last 10 minutes of your presidency, you slip a release out. It just made the whole thing look tawdry.”

The family pardons come on the heels of Biden’s December pardon of his son, Hunter Biden, covering all crimes committed between January 1, 2014, and December 1, 2024.

Hunter faced charges for unlawfully purchasing a firearm and failing to pay $1.4 million in taxes.

During his presidency, Biden and his former White House press secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre, had repeatedly assured the public that Hunter would not receive a pardon.

Despite the assurance, Biden justified the pardon by describing his family as victims of “the worst kind of partisan politics.”

James Biden, one of the individuals pardoned, has been tied to Hunter’s overseas business dealings.

Frank Biden faced criticism for using Joe Biden’s first inauguration in 2021 to promote his Florida-based law firm in connection with a lawsuit against sugar farmers.

Reports also surfaced that Frank interrupted business meetings to speak with the “big guy,” a nickname some allege was used to refer to Joe Biden.

In the final hours of his presidency, Biden issued preemptive pardons to several high-profile figures, including former White House health adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley, and members of the January 6 Committee.

The moves were seen by critics as a way to shield them from potential legal or congressional investigations under the incoming Trump administration.

The timing and scope of the pardons have fueled a debate over Biden’s legacy.

Critics argue the last-minute decisions undermine his repeated calls for transparency and accountability during his presidency.

The optics of the late-night clemency actions, coupled with the ongoing controversies surrounding his family’s business dealings, have drawn significant backlash from across the political spectrum.

As the Trump administration begins its term, Biden’s pardons will likely remain a focal point of political and legal discussions, particularly as Republican lawmakers signal their intent to investigate the Biden family’s financial and business activities.

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