SUMMARY
In his final hours in office, President Joe Biden granted a series of pardons but notably did not include prosecutors or judges involved in legal actions against Donald Trump. Special Counsel Jack Smith, who handled two federal cases against Trump, and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who led the New York hush money case, were left off the list, despite Trump's vocal criticisms of both figures. Trump has suggested that Smith should face consequences for his actions and has questioned Bragg's role in the proceedings. Similarly, judges like Justice Juan Merchan, who presided over Trump’s cases, were not pardoned, even though Trump had previously criticized their handling of his trials. While some Democrats, such as Rep. Jim Clyburn, had pushed for pardoning these officials, Biden likely refrained due to legal immunity for judges and prosecutors. Biden did, however, issue pardons to other figures, including Dr. Anthony Fauci and General Mark Milley.
