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Rep. Bennie Thompson Open to Preemptive Biden Pardon Amid Trump's Jail Threat

Dec 12, 2024, 08:07 PM

Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), the former chair of the House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riots, has stated that he would accept a preemptive pardon from President Joe Biden if offered. This statement comes in response to comments made by President-elect Donald Trump, who suggested during his campaign that members of the committee should face jail time. Thompson emphasized that he and other committee members had not done anything wrong, but he would accept a pardon out of concern for potential political retribution from the incoming administration. The discussion around preemptive pardons has been spurred by Trump's remarks about seeking retribution against his political opponents. The committee's findings alleged that Trump had 'engaged in a criminal conspiracy to defraud' the country, and Biden is said to be weighing preemptive pardons for figures he believes could become targets of criminal prosecutions under Trump’s next administration.