WASHINGTON, Jan 1 (Alliance News): Like prior lame-duck US presidents, Joe Biden has been racing to complete unfinished business in an attempt to bolster his legacy — and protect his signature policies — before handing over the keys to the White House.
With arch-rival Donald Trump returning to power, Biden’s efforts to safeguard his administration’s actions, as well as his own reputation, have taken on added significance, experts say.
“Departing presidents often try to both accomplish as much as they can prior to leaving office and also shape public opinion of their administration,” Robert Rowland, a University of Kansas communications professor, told AFP.
“There are many examples of intense lame-duck periods,” particularly when power changes from party to party, said Julian Zelizer, a history professor at Princeton University.
Biden, whose rare public appearances have shown him visibly physically diminished, is no exception to the rule.
His recent decision to commute the sentences of 37 of the 40 federal death row inmates triggered strong backlash from his Republican adversary. Trump has vowed to pursue even harsher penalties for criminals once he returns to office.
“Biden is scared by what he fears President Trump may do,” Rowland said. “That fear is making him especially forceful in trying to limit the agenda of the incoming Trump Administration and to solidify his administration’s accomplishments.”
Biden had earlier granted 39 presidential pardons and commuted sentences for nearly 1,500 people, with the White House calling it “the largest single-day grant of clemency in modern history.”
“All presidents use their power to pardon or commute sentences at the end of their presidencies,” Wendy Schiller, a political science professor at Brown University, told AFP.
Zelizer suggested that Biden’s judicial actions could also be seen as an effort to honor some campaign promises on criminal justice reform.
One of his most notable decisions was to pardon his son, Hunter Biden, who the president said had been unfairly treated by the courts and prosecutors. This move sparked fierce criticism not only from Republicans but also from some of Biden’s Democratic allies.
Rowland noted that the pardon had a “major negative impact” on Biden’s reputation, which is fueling the outgoing president’s intense efforts to shape the public perception of his final days in office.
