In his final hours in office, President Joe Biden issued blanket preemptive pardons Monday to prominent government officials, the bipartisan January 6 th committee, and members of his own family, which Biden said was necessary to prevent retribution from President-elect Donald Trump.

In his first interview after taking office, Donald Trump expressed surprise that Joe Biden did not pardon himself. "If you look at it, it all had to do with him," said the President of the United States.