President Joe Biden has recently been considering preemptive pardons for individuals, expressing his belief that they were not guilty of any crimes. He has voiced concerns that granting pardons could imply guilt, but ultimately decided that providing protection outweighed this potential implication.
This decision by President Biden is unprecedented in presidential history, as preemptive pardons on such a large scale have never been issued before. Even when former President Gerald Ford pardoned Richard Nixon, it was done in response to a real threat of prosecution.
None of the individuals on President Biden's list were facing imminent legal action, but he deemed the threat significant enough to warrant preemptive pardons. This move reflects his commitment to ensuring the protection of these individuals, despite the potential implications.