Biden's former communications director criticizes ex-president's last-minute pardons as a "disappointing move."

On Tuesday, Kate Bedingfield, who used to work as the communications director in the Biden White House, confronted her former boss about the contentious pardons he issued before departing the presidency.

Biden's Inauguration Day pardons were criticized by a CNN political commentator as being inconsistent with his pledge to uphold the "rule of law."

"She expressed disappointment in the move, stating, "I was disappointed in it. I think he has spoken so eloquently about the need to preserve the rule of law.""

On Monday, just before President Trump was inaugurated, Biden granted pardons to his family members, including James Biden, Sara Jones Biden, Valerie Biden Owens, John Owens, and Francis Biden.

Biden issued pardons to defend them from politically motivated investigations.

On Monday, Biden granted pardons to Dr. Anthony Fauci, Gen. Mark Milley, and individuals linked to the House select committee probe into January 6, prior to leaving office.

Biden granted pardons on Inauguration Day, continuing the high-profile pardons he issued late last year, including for his son, Hunter Biden, who was convicted of federal charges related to illegal firearm ownership and tax fraud.

Biden's last-minute pardons are hypocritical, as Bedingfield pointed out, reminding viewers of Biden's past criticism of Trump's decision to pardon his family members at the end of his first term.

The former Biden official stated that when he was entering office in 2020, he criticized Trump's idea of pardoning his family, saying it would send a negative message. He also added that this criticism applies to Biden's own pardons.

She said it was disappointing and it's hard to argue that it didn't happen yesterday.

Biden's stance on pardons may have changed due to Trump's alleged willingness to target political opponents, as Bedingfield pointed out.

"In this Trump 2.0 era, where Trump has made it clear that he intends to use the government to target his political opponents, it's understandable that Joe Biden would feel compelled to safeguard his family before leaving office," she stated.

"I can comprehend that argument from a human perspective," she stated.

Bedingfield stated that she believes Biden's pardons do not provide Trump with any justification to issue his own while in office.

On Monday, Trump issued an executive order granting pardons to over 1,500 individuals accused of crimes related to the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. The order directs the Federal Bureau of Prisons to process the pardons promptly upon receipt.