US President Donald Trump on Monday took a potshot at his predecessor Joe Biden for pardoning his family members in the last moments of his presidency.
“Did you know that Biden, while I was making my speech, Biden pardoned his whole family? The brother, the whole deal was pardoned. Can you imagine that? While I was making my speech,” Trump said at the Capitol One Arena.
“I think it was unfortunate that he did that,” he added.
Trump’s reaction came after Biden pardoned his siblings and their spouses on his way out of the White House saying that his family had been “subjected to unrelenting attacks and threats, motivated solely by a desire to hurt me — the worst kind of partisan politics.”
“Unfortunately, I have no reason to believe these attacks will end,” he said as his presidential term was ending.
Biden also pardoned Dr Anthony Fauci, retires Gen Mark Milley and the members of the house committee that probed the January 6 attack on the Capitol.
Meanwhile, Trump , in one of his first actions for his second term, issued pardons to over 1,500 individuals charged in the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack, including leaders of the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers organisations.
“These are the hostages,” Trump declared from the Oval Office, referring to the convicted and charged defendants. “Approximately 1,500 for a pardon – full pardon.” “We hope they come out tonight,” Trump said.
Donald Trump was sworn in as the 47th president of the United States at the US Capitol in Washington, DC. US Chief Justice John Roberts administered the oath to Trump.
Prior to Trump’s swearing-in, JD Vance was sworn in as the 50th US Vice-President. After taking the oath, Trump declared that the “golden age” of America had begun and today marks the ‘Liberation Day’ for the country.
He is also just the second president in US history to return to power after being voted out, after Grover Cleveland in 1893.