Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

James Clyburn Breaks Down Who's On His 'Pre-Emptive Pardon' List—And Yeah, We Get It

Screenshot of James Clyburn
CNN

After Joe Biden pardoned his son Hunter, Rep. James Clyburn explained who else should be on Biden's pardon list

After President Joe Biden pardoned his son, Hunter Biden, South Carolina Democratic Representative James Clyburn weighed in on who Biden should preemptively pardon before President-elect Donald Trump takes office in January.

Biden granted “a full and unconditional” pardon to his son, Hunter Biden, covering federal gun and tax charges. Hunter Biden had been scheduled to be sentenced for his federal gun conviction on December 12 and for his tax case just four days later.


In June, Hunter Biden was found guilty in Delaware on three felony counts tied to his 2018 purchase of a handgun. On the purchase form, he falsely stated that he was not a user of illicit drugs. In September, he pleaded guilty to nine federal tax charges in Los Angeles, choosing an “open” plea, which allows a judge to determine sentencing.

The pardon applies to all “offenses against the United States which he has committed or may have committed or taken part in during the period from January 1, 2014, through December 1, 2024, including but not limited to all offenses charged or prosecuted.”

The GOP—which used Hunter Biden's offenses in a failed attempt to impeach his father—has been up in arms since then, accusing Biden of abusing his pardon power.

But Biden has an opportunity, Clyburn noted, to pardon individuals who would be targets for Trump's retribution. While Trump's supporters have largely dismissed his threats, Trump has made clear he will seek revenge against people like special counsel Jack Smith, who previously charged Trump with election interference, and former Representative Liz Cheney, who has made abundantly clear the threat Trump poses to the nation's democratic institutions.

With this in mind, CNN anchor Laura Coates asked Clyburn the following:

"[There are multiple individuals] likely to be on an 'enemies list' of sorts. If you [make a recommendation] to Biden, do you include the federal employees and prosecutors and special counsel who were actively on these cases to protect them as well?"

Clyburn responded:

"Yes, absolutely. Jack Smith's name is on my list. Liz Cheney's name is on my list. I think that they should all be preemptively pardoned because I think there are people who Trump may bring into this government who will go after these people in a serious way and there's no need to subject them to that."
"Even if they are found not guilty, why put families through that? Why put people through that, that kind of expense, that kind of worry? That should not be."
"I think Liz Cheney is a patriot and I also think there will be a lot of MAGA people going after her."

You can hear what he said in the video below.

Many concurred.


There is no question Trump is already planning to target those he believes have wronged him.

His pick to lead the FBI, Kash Patel, has already compiled a list of so-called "deep state" officials he believes should be targeted.

In his 2023 book, Government Gangsters, Patel names a wide array of figures in an appendix titled “Members of the Executive Branch Deep State.” The list isn’t limited to Democrats or Biden administration officials but also includes several Republicans and Trump appointees, such as Bill Barr, Rod Rosenstein, Pat Cipollone, Patrick Philbin, and special counsel Robert Hur.

Predictably, Patel also singles out current FBI Director Christopher Wray, whom Trump plans to replace, along with Democrats like White House adviser John Podesta and Vice President Kamala Harris.

More from News/2024-election

Jeff Ross
Mike Coppola/Variety via Getty Images

Comedian Jeff Ross Shares Photos Of Puffed Up Lip After Allergic Reaction To Ice Cream

Insult comic Jeff Ross revealed he had a medical emergency after a show Saturday night that resulted in a trip to the ER. However, he assured fans the show must go on despite "looking like Mickey Rourke at the end of The Wrestler."

Ross recounted the ordeal on Instagram, showing his swollen lip taking over his face from eating burrata ice cream after his Take a Banana for the Ride show in Mill Valley, California, near San Francisco.

Keep ReadingShow less
screenshot of Jesse Watters on Fox News
Fox News

Jesse Watters Offers Mind-Numbing New Claim About Masculinity—And Is Instantly Dragged

Problematic Fox News MAGA pundit Jesse Watters has made another bizarre claim about masculinity.

Having already taken exception with eating ice cream, drinking milkshakes, and taking bubble baths, Watters is now targeting tech jobs.

Keep ReadingShow less
Donald Trump with the Dodgers
Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

Trump Leaves Everyone Confused With Hilariously Bizarre Word Salad Tribute To The Dodgers

President Donald Trump was widely mocked after he welcomed the 2024 World Series-winning Los Angeles Dodgers to the White House on Monday with a bizarre, tangential, and rambling speech.

The team arrived at the White House on Monday morning, where Trump, in his remarks, praised two-way star Shohei Ohtani and infielder Mookie Betts. The Dodgers had defeated the New York Yankees in five games to clinch their second World Series title in five seasons.

Keep ReadingShow less
Donald Trump
Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

Trump Roasted After Giving Clunky New Nickname To People Criticizing His Tariffs

President Donald Trump was criticized after he pushed back against critics of his tariffs, coming up with a new nickname for the "weak and stupid" people who oppose them.

The Trump administration’s newly imposed tariffs on imports from various countries have unsettled consumers, triggered a trade war, disrupted global markets, and sparked widespread fears of a potential recession in the U.S. and beyond.

Keep ReadingShow less

Childhood Experiences People Thought Were 'Normal' But Weren't At All

Content Warning: Child neglect, child abuse, narcissism, gaslighting, people-pleasing, and other traumatic childhood experiences

It's important for us to work on ourselves, to continue bettering ourselves throughout our limited time on this earth, and a key way of doing that is acknowledging what we do not know, and working on that.

Keep ReadingShow less