Was he really though? None of these prosecutions are going to stick. They’re no threat to wealthy people like the Bidens. The real danger is for ordinary people. The Bidens can afford or can certainly raise donations for their legal fees against unjust prosecution. Average people however can’t afford such a thing. The average person does have to fear this, as Trump can now effectively bankrupt anyone of modest means by filing frivolous charges against them. How many times can you afford to spend several hundred thousand dollars hiring attorneys to fight the Justice Department?

So really it wasn’t justified. It set the terrible precedent that a president can pardon their family members. And it was done for someone who can afford an unlimited legal defense budget to fight off frivolous prosecutions. Biden could have issued broader pardons that would have protected millions of people from such prosecutions, but instead he focused only on his friends and family.