In the last few weeks of his presidency, President Joe Biden has been rapidly pushing to fill more ambassador and judicial positions, take last-minute action with a number of his job-oriented programs and pursue measures in for- eign affairs. According to The New York Times, many of his actions during his lame-duck period will try to preemptively prevent actions President-elect Donald Trump may take when he returns to office in January, such as his potential initiative to issue blanket pardons for some of his political adversaries. Yet, while actions like appointing judges are relatively long lasting, many initiatives that presidents take in their final weeks are easily reversible.
In the past, presidents have rarely taken major steps during their lame-duck period. Many presidents have made farewell addresses with suggestions to the American people going forward, while some presidents, like former Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clin-
ton, have passed last-minute resolutions and policies.
Biden’s recent actions have already made headlines for their controversial nature, according to the BBC. He pardoned his son, Hunter Biden, who was convicted on three counts of tax evasion and filing false returns for guns. The decision turned many heads, and Biden recently came out with a statement saying he made the decision more as a father than as a president. Lucy Glazier ’27 understands Biden’s motives for pardoning his son but has mixed feelings about it.
“I think while [pardoning Hunter Biden] is understandable, he repeatedly said he wasn’t going to and then he did, and that’s what’s offensive about it,” Glazier said.
Just a few weeks ago, Biden also permitted Ukraine to use the Army Tactical Missile Systems and send long-range missiles to Russia. Ukraine had been asking for this support for many years prior, but Biden finally authorized it after North Korea sent 10,000 troops to Russia.
“This attack [from North Korea] is outrageous and serves as yet another reminder of the urgency and importance of supporting the Ukrainian people in their defense against Russian aggression,” Biden wrote in a Nov. 28 statement defending his decision regarding Ukraine. “On this day, my message to the Ukrainian people is clear: the United States stands with you.”
As Trump has hinted at using the U.S. military against citizens, Democratic Senators Elizabeth Warren and Richard Blumenthal have recently urged Biden to authorize a policy to make Trump’s goal more difficult. The current proposed policy would only allow U.S. troops to be deployed against fellow Americans if local or state governments request so, not the federal government.
Many left-leaning activists are also encouraging Biden to quickly take action on a number of ongoing issues, such as stopping arms transfers to the Israeli government, abolishing the federal death penalty and changing border policy and policy on asylum. Yet, as has happened in past administrations, it is very likely that changes Biden makes in his last few weeks will be reversed within
the next few months, according to The Guardian. Marlborough student Emmaline Edwards ’27 expects that Biden’s last-minute policy changes may not last once Trump enters office.
“I am not sure any of [Biden’s actions] will succeed by the time Trump is in place because [the GOP] has taken up a majority of the House and the Senate,” Edwards said.
