The country’s leading experts on pardons have called out the president for his “cowardice” in granting mercy to only a handful of the over 130,000 federal prisoners. By commuting the sentences of some of the nonviolent Jan. 6 rioters, Biden would push his primary critic, Donald Trump, into a corner. Second, while Democrats have lost full control of Congress, Biden can act unilaterally to reduce the federal prison population. The power to pardon or commute federal sentences is a prerogative of the executive branch. Finally, by commuting the sentences of some of the nonviolent Jan. 6 rioters, Biden would push his primary critic, Donald Trump, into a corner.

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