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JOE Biden has pardoned lockdown chief Anthony Fauci in his final act before Donald Trump takes office.
Fauci, 84, was the face of the US government’s response to the Covid pandemic.
He was the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the National Institutes of Health for nearly 40 years – and Biden’s chief medical advisor until his retirement in 2022.
Biden also pardoned General Mark Milley – former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff – and members of the January 6 congressional committee and witnesses.
Using the powers of his office in his final hours, he said they “do not deserve to be the targets of unjustified and politically motivated prosecutions”.
The decision comes after Trump warned of an “enemies list” filled with those who have crossed him politically – or tried to hold him accountable for his attempt to overturn his 2020 election loss.
Biden said: “The issuance of these pardons should not be mistaken as an acknowledgement that any individual engaged in any wrongdoing, nor should acceptance be misconstrued as an admission of guilt for any offense.
“Our nation owes these public servants a debt of gratitude for their tireless commitment to our country.”
Fauci has faced a huge amount of criticism over his handling of the Covid pandemic.
He was hauled before Congress last year where he was accused of covering up evidence that the virus leaked from the Wuhan Institute of Virology in China.
He was also quizzed about using his personal email to conduct official business – allegations he denied.
It is typical for a president to grant clemency at the end of his term – but it’s usually dished out to everyday Americans who have been convicted of crimes.
And Biden has used the power in the most untested way possible – to pardon public officials who have not even been investigated yet.
He said: “These are exceptional circumstances, and I cannot in good conscience do nothing.
“Even when individuals have done nothing wrong and in fact have done the right thing and will ultimately be exonerated, the mere fact of being investigated or prosecuted can irreparably damage reputations and finances.”
As well as Fauci and Milley, Biden is pardoning members and staff of the January 6 committee – including former Reps. Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger, both Republicans.
He is also pardoning US Capitol and DC Metropolitan police officers who testified.
Biden has set the presidential record for most individual pardons and commutations issued.
On Friday, he announced he would be commuting the sentences of almost 2,500 people convicted of nonviolent drug offences.
And he previously announced he was commuting the sentences of 37 of the 40 people on federal death row, converting their punishments to life imprisonment.
In his first term, Trump presided over a spate of 13 executions.
Today, he will make a triumphant returns to the White House as he will be inaugurated as the 47th President of the United States.
He reclaims the mantle of President from Biden – who defeated him in the 2020 election, only to then step aside due to his diminishing health.
Thousands of soldiers and cops have locked down Washington DC – with an immense “ring of steel” ahead of the ceremony.
Billionaires, celebs and the political elite will be packing out the event along with tens of thousands of Trump fans on the lawns outside the Capitol.
It will begin with a church service, followed by a visit to the White House, then speeches and musical performances, key meetings, and then three lavish balls.
What does Donald Trump have planned for his first day in office?
By Ellie Doughty, Foreign News Reporter
Today marks Donald Trump’s first day in his second term as President of the United States.
The President elect has vowed to “make heads spin” by signing some 200 executive orders – mere hours after reentering the Oval Office.
“Starting tomorrow, I will act with historic speed of strength and fix every single crisis facing our country,” he said last night.
“Every radical, foolish executive order of the Biden administration will be repealed within hours of when I take the oath of office. You’re gonna have a lot of fun watching television.
“Somebody said yesterday, don’t sign so many in one day, let’s do it over a period of weeks. I said, like hell … no, we’re doing them tomorrow.”
After he is sworn in at the inauguration ceremony, he’ll be granted the full powers that come with the position, leaving him free to sign directives on issues including illegal immigration, gender debates, Artificial Intelligence and cryptocurrency.
Executive orders can be overturned by the courts – or the next president – but do carry legal weight in the US.
Trump suggested a huge chunk of these would relate to immigration and border control – a key theme of his first term and election campaign.
He vowed: “The invasion of our borders will come to a halt.”
Trump also promised to become the US president behind the most deportations during his second term.
He may reinstate his “Remain in Mexico” policy which saw some 70,000 non-Mexican asylum seekers sent across the southern US border to await their hearings.
He has also vowed to scrap the law that means anyone born on US soil is an American citizen – although, protected by the constitution, this can’t be removed with just an executive order.
Trump may also try to finish building a border wall between Mexico and the US, a plan he first put into action back in 2016.
The MAGA leader is also expected to proscribe drug cartels as “foreign terrorist organisations”, placing them alongside groups like Al Qaeda, ISIS and Hamas.
His friendship with tech tycoon Elon Musk has grown alongside his efforts to champion cryptocurrency.
Some expect him to create a federal “Bitcoin stockpile” – similar to the US’ gold and oil reserves – which he has claimed would be a “permanent national asset to benefit all Americans”.
Trump last night promised to uncover a slew of classified documents on the assassination of President John F Kennedy, as well as Civil Rights leader Martin Luther King.
He is also expected to overturn President Biden’s climate policies – including on the regulation of pollution or green job efforts – including a possible ban on new wind projects or electric vehicle mandates.
And he is expected to once again pull out of the Paris Climate Agreement, which he did in 2017, before Biden rejoined in 2021.
Presidents also have the power to pardon criminals – with Trump saying he is “inclined to pardon many” of those involved in the January 6 Capitol riot.
