Biden is considering preemptive pardons for officials and allies before Trump takes office

President Joe Biden is weighing whether to issue sweeping pardons for officials and allies who the White House fears could be unjustly targeted by President-elect Donald Trump’s administration. The preemptive move would be a novel and risky use of the president’s extraordinary constitutional power. The deliberations so far are largely at the level of White House lawyers. But according to two people familiar with the matter, Biden himself has discussed the topic with some senior aides. The two people spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive subject. They said no decisions have been made, and it is possible Biden opts to do nothing at all.