As if to secure his legacy as the worst president of modern times, Joe Biden has make some stunning moves in his final weeks in office.
In late 2024, Biden pardoned his son Hunter Biden, whom a jury had convicted of federal gun charges and who had pleaded guilty to intentionally failing to pay taxes. The unprecedented pardon gave Hunter full clemency for any and all federal crimes he may have committed from January 1st, 2014 through December 1st, 2024.
Biden then pardoned another 39 people and commuted the sentences of about 1,500 others, including 37 out of 40 federal death row prisoners convicted of heinous crimes who will now serve life in prison. The DOJ has received nearly 12,000 requests for clemency during Biden’s term in office. White House officials have said that Biden plans to issue additional pardons and commutations before his term ends on January 20th.
Biden released 11 Yemeni detainees with suspected ties to al Qaeda from the Guantanamo Bay military prison in Cuba, including two alleged former body guards of Osama Bin Laden. The Yemeni s will be sent to the nation of Oman, who agreed to accept them. Oman, a US ally, has already accepted at least 30 other Gitmo detainees.
This leaves 15 prisoners still in the facility including alleged 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, who has been negotiating a plea deal. Three other inmates, a Libyan, a Somalian, and a stateless Rohing’ya, have been approved for release but have not found a nation to transfer them to. An Iraqi prisoner who pleaded guilty to war crimes has a transfer in the works.
At it’s peak, the facility housed almost 800 detainees. It costs an estimated $15M annually to house a prisoner at the Guantanamo Bay facility which Biden’s Defense Secretary Loyd Austin has stated will eventually be closing.
Biden then extended the temporary visa status of around one million immigrants, mere days before Donald Trump takes office. the Department of Homeland Security has announced the 18-month extension will apply to 600,000 Venezuelans, 230,000 Salvadorans, and 103,000 Ukrainians currently living in the US.
And it’s a happy new year for dictator Volodymyr Zelenskyy, as another $500 million in military aid will be going to Ukraine on Biden’s way out.
Biden also plans to send another $8 billion in weapons to Israel, adding to a record of at least $17.9 billion in military aid that the US has provided to Israel since October 7, 2023.