Biden considered a PARDON for Trump in move White House calls proof of weaponization: 'Did nothing to stop it'

Joe Biden spent the late months of his presidency considering a presidential pardon for Donald Trump in a move The White House said proves Democrats politicized the Justice Department.The President pardoned several of those closest to him before leaving office, including son Hunter, Dr Anthony Fauci and members of the January 6 committee. However, Utah's Republican Governor Spencer Cox - a moderate member of the GOP who only endorsed Trump following his assassination attempt in Pennsylvania - was surprised to learn Biden had been thinking about giving the same to his predecessor. 'You know, I've actually considered this for a while,' Cox told The Atlantic Biden said when he called him in August of 2023, long before the governor endorsed Trump.'In fact, just this week as we were lying in bed, Jill and I had a long conversation about it,' Biden continued, according to Cox. The Trump administration said this story proves that the Biden administration knew Trump was being treated unfairly and didn't stop it. 'This shows President Biden knew he and his fellow extreme Democrats had weaponized the justice system against his political opponent, but did nothing to stop it,' White House spokeswoman Lauren Bis told The Daily Mail.'A real profile in courage,' Bis joked. Joe Biden (pictured left) spent much of the late months of his presidency considering a presidential pardon for Donald Trump, including a bedroom conversation with First Lady Jill Biden (pictured right) The Trump administration said this story proves that the Biden administration knew Trump was being treated unfairly and didn't stop itCox believed that pardoning Trump from the criminal charges he faced in multiple states would help heal the nation and stop what he saw as a cycle of partisan revenge tactics. Biden told Cox that he was going to seriously consider the pardon - which Cox phrased to the President as something that 'might sound crazy' - despite his base 'demanding justice' for Trump. However, the clemency never came after Trump defeated Vice President Kamala Harris following Biden's decision to not seek reelection.Cox said he 'hoped [Biden] would choose mercy over escalation' by offering forgiveness to Trump.Similarly, he asked Trump to unite the country following the shooting in Butler in August of 2024 and 'hoped he would choose unity over retaliation.''In both cases, things didn't turn out quite the way I'd hoped,' Cox said. Biden sparked fury on his way out the door by issuing preemptive pardons for his son Hunter, Dr Anthony Fauci and all nine members of the January 6 Committee.The first pardon Biden issued after losing the 2024 presidential election to Trump was for Hunter, 54, who was convicted on felony tax charges as well as federal crimes for lying in 2018 about his drug use on a form to purchase a firearm.This came to the ire of Democrats who felt it would give Trump permission to issue sweeping pardons without fear of being accused of hypocrisy. Utah's Republican Governor Spencer Cox (pictured) - a moderate member of the GOP who only endorsed Trump following his assassination attempt in Pennsylvania - lobbied Biden for the pardon in 2023 Biden sparked fury on his way out the door by issuing preemptive pardons for his son Hunter, Dr Anthony Fauci and all nine members of the January 6 Committee And the same day Biden pardoned his son, Trump announced he would pardon January 6 defendants who were charged with crimes related to the Capitol attack.Biden wrote in his pardon announcement that the action was warranted because they are public servants who have 'been threatened with criminal prosecutions.''These public servants have served our nation with honor and distinction and do not deserve to be the targets of unjustified and politically motivated prosecutions,' he noted.The 82-year-old Democrat also used his final moments in the Oval Office to give blanket protection to former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley, who Trump has said deserves to be executed.In all, the Biden administration granted more than 1,500 individuals clemency during his final weeks in the White House. Emails show Biden formally decided on issuing pre-emptive pardons for his family on January 19, 2024. Among the most controversial of all Biden's pardons so far is the protection of Fauci from federal prosecution. He also got massive backlash for pardoning his own son from his federal crimes.Biden wrote in a statement on the pardons: 'Our nation relies on dedicated, selfless public servants every day. They are the lifeblood of our democracy. Yet alarmingly, public servants have been subjected to ongoing threats and intimidation for faithfully discharging their duties.'