Amy Klobuchar admits she's 'not a fan' of Biden's pardons: 'Very concerned'
Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., is the latest Democratic figure to criticize President Biden’s decision to pardon his son.
Biden announced on Dec. 1 that he pardoned his son Hunter despite repeatedly insisting that he wouldn't issue a pardon for him. Since then, there have been reports that Biden may also issue preemptive pardons for Dr. Anthony Fauci, Sen.-elect Adam Schiff, D-Calif., and former Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., ahead of President-elect Donald Trump taking office.
Klobuchar informed MSNBC host Jen Psaki Sunday that she’s "not a fan" of either pardons, particularly because of what could happen under Trump.
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"I am not a fan of these. I didn’t like the pardon of the president’s son. I didn’t think that that was prudent. But I also am very concerned about this idea of the preemptive pardons. I am, of everyone, very concerned about what Trump is going to do with this Justice Department," Klobuchar said.
She reminded Psaki that Schiff has also publicly stated that he does not want a pardon and instead focused on reforming the pardon process.
"The president has this power. I would prefer that we actually…Trump abused this pardon power. I think that we should have pardon reform. It is a right of these presidents. But you could have a committee set up. You could have suggestions from a board. You could do all kinds of things. That’s what I’d like to see," Klobuchar said.
Several Democrats quickly criticized Biden's decision, believing that it tarnished his reputation by having him go back on his word.
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"While as a father I certainly understand [Biden’s] natural desire to help his son by pardoning him, I am disappointed that he put his family ahead of the country. This is a bad precedent that could be abused by later Presidents and will sadly tarnish his reputation," Colorado Gov. Jared Polis said in a lengthy statement.
He added, "Hunter brought the legal trouble he faced on himself, and one can sympathize with his struggles while also acknowledging that no one is above the law, not a President and not a President’s son."