CNN commentators and reporters sharply criticized President Biden's decision to pardon several family members just before leaving office, calling it a "stain on his legacy" and questioning the timing and precedent it sets. The pardons, announced during Trump's inauguration, covered James Biden, Sara Jones Biden, Valerie Biden Owens, John Owens, and Francis Biden. Biden justified the pardons by claiming his family could face "politically motivated investigations" after his departure.

CNN's MJ Lee pointed out that Biden had previously assured CNN's Jake Tapper in 2020 that his administration would not issue preemptive pardons and that his approach to justice would differ significantly from Trump's. Lee expressed concern over the "alarming questions" raised by this decision regarding legal precedent.

President Joe Biden departs Air Force One at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware on Wednesday, July 17, 2024. (Susan Walsh/AP)

CNN commentator Alyssa Farah Griffin argued that pardoning family members was more problematic than Biden's other last-minute pardons, including those of Liz Cheney, Gen. Mark Milley, and Anthony Fauci. CNN host John King criticized the lack of transparency, urging Biden to "have the courage" to explain his actions publicly. King felt that the secretive nature of the pardons tarnished Biden's legacy.

Former Obama advisor David Axelrod also questioned the timing, stating that while Trump had long threatened investigations, the last-minute nature of the pardons made the situation appear "tawdry." He suggested that the timing made the entire affair appear suspicious.

David Axelrod speaking on CNN, January 20, 2025. (Screenshot/CNN)

The article referenced a 2020 interview where Biden expressed concern about the precedent set by preemptive pardons and contrasted his approach to justice with Trump's, emphasizing a commitment to a "nation of laws and justice."