Biden pardons Fauci, Milley and Jan. 6 Committee members in his final hours in office

Joe Biden plans to hurry up every last second of his presidency. In his final hours in the White House, the outgoing president signed the preemptive pardon of Anthony Fauci, Gen. Mark Milley and members of the January 6 Select Committee to Investigate - including Liz Cheney - to protect them from hypothetical retaliation by Donald Trump.

In a lengthy post on the POTUS' X account, Biden justified this move because "these public servants have served our nation with honor and distinction and do not deserve to be the targets of unjustified and politically motivated prosecutions."

"I believe in the rule of law, and I am optimistic that the strength of our legal institutions will ultimately prevail over politics. But these are exceptional circumstances, and I cannot in good conscience do nothing. Baseless and politically motivated investigations wreak havoc on the lives, safety, and financial security of targeted individuals and their families. Even when individuals have done nothing wrong—and in fact have done the right thing—and will ultimately be exonerated, the mere fact of being investigated or prosecuted can irreparably damage reputations and finances."

Biden highlights the work of his pardon recipients

The still president, also dedicated a few words to praise the work by each of those preemptively pardoned in favor of the nation, indicating that Trump's "threats" of retaliation are motivated by his personal experience, and not by an actual crime.

On the top man responsible for the nation's response to covid, Biden noted that "for more than half a century, Dr. Fauci served our country. He saved countless lives by managing the government’s response to pressing health crises, including HIV/AIDS, as well as the Ebola and Zika viruses. During his tenure as my Chief Medical Advisor, he helped the country tackle a once-in-a-century pandemic. The United States is safer and healthier because of him."

He also highlighted the years of service of Milley, who called Trump a fascist and accused him of participating in an insurrection that led to January 6, 2021: "General Milley served our nation for more than 40 years, serving in multiple command and leadership posts and deploying to some of the most dangerous parts of the world to protect and defend democracy. As Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, he guided our Armed Forces through complex global security threats and strengthened our existing alliances while forging new ones."

Harsh accusations against Trump and Republican lawmakers

Finally, Biden referred to the work of lawmakers who investigated what happened on Capitol Hill on January 6, 2021, including Liz Cheney, and whose work has been called into question by a House report. However, the outgoing president goes so far as to accuse current lawmakers and Trump himself of perpetrating "the attack" on that day.

"On January 6, 2021, American democracy was tested when a mob of insurrectionists attacked the Capitol in an attempt to overturn a fair and free election by force and violence. In light of the significance of that day, Congress established the bipartisan Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol to investigate and report upon the facts, circumstances, and causes of the insurrection. The Select Committee fulfilled this mission with integrity and a commitment to discovering the truth. Rather than accept accountability, those who perpetrated the January 6th attack have taken every opportunity to undermine and intimidate those who participated in the Select Committee in an attempt to rewrite history, erase the stain of January 6th for partisan gain, and seek revenge, including by threatening criminal prosecutions."

Biden stresses that the pardons do not indicate that the beneficiaries committed any wrongdoing.

In closing, the outgoing president stressed that "The issuance of these pardons should not be mistaken as an acknowledgment that any individual engaged in any wrongdoing, nor should acceptance be misconstrued as an admission of guilt for any offense. Our nation owes these public servants a debt of gratitude for their tireless commitment to our country."