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MAGA, Stop Criticizing Joe Biden’s Pardon. You Look Silly.

As conservatives scramble to condemn Biden, it’s worth revisiting former President Donald Trump’s record on pardons—a record that shows far less restraint, much more controversy, and blatant cronyism.

Libby Winkler
4 min readDec 3, 2024
Photo by Nellie Adamyan on Unsplash

MAGA, Stop Criticizing Joe Biden’s Pardon. You Look Silly.

Criticism is a natural part of politics, but sometimes it becomes hypocrisy.

One such example is the latest uproar over President Joe Biden’s use of his pardon power. As conservatives, particularly those aligned with the MAGA movement, scramble to condemn Biden, it’s worth revisiting former President Donald Trump’s record on pardons—a record that shows far less restraint, much more controversy, and blatant cronyism.

Trump’s Pardons: A Showcase of Self-Interest

The Constitution gives presidents sweeping powers to pardon, and Trump wielded it with unprecedented disregard for precedent or public accountability.

His pardons weren’t just controversial—they were unapologetically self-serving. Among the most eyebrow-raising were:

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Libby Winkler
Libby Winkler

Written by Libby Winkler

Freelance writer who loves exploring the messiness of humanity, while poking around in nooks of life and shining light on all the things that make us complex..

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