Trump compared his approach to preemptive pardons issued by former President Joe Biden toward his son, Hunter Biden, and members of Congress and administration officials.

I'm pretty sick of hearing about Hunter Biden as an excuse for everything in the pardon world.

Biden's pardon of Hunter: I disagreed with it while I understand why it was done: protecting a son who was being targeted in the future should trump be elected. trump had made repeated threats about going after Hunter. But...it was still an extraordinarily broad pardon, and Biden deserves criticism for using presidential power to protect his son. But acknowledging that doesn't make it equivalent to Trump's pardon practices.

The scale and beneficiaries: Yes, trump's clemency has extended to numerous convicted criminals, including financial fraudsters, corrupt individuals, and January 6 rioters who assaulted police officers.

The money and influence: Investigations have continually raised serious questions about wealthy pardon applicants, politically connected brokers, enormous lobbying fees, campaign donations, and business relationships involving people close to trump.

The double standard: trump is now openly discussing preemptively pardoning his own staff, advisers, and allies to protect them from potential investigations. That raises an even bigger question: Is presidential clemency becoming a form of political insurance for those loyal to the president?

The real issue: Biden's decision deserves scrutiny, but it doesn't excuse trump's actions. We should be able to condemn favoritism by Democrats and Republicans alike.

A presidential pardon should be an act of justice, not a reward for loyalty, a shield against accountability, or a privilege that wealthy and politically connected people can purchase access to.

Pete