A Sinner’s Sermon

Poor Sen. Adam Schiff is upset at President Donald Trump.

The Trump-hater extraordinaire posted this on X:

Donald Trump is abusing the pardon power as a means of rewarding his family, his allies, and his wealthy donors. I'm headed to the floor with @SenWarren right now to attempt to pass a resolution condemning his pardon of crypto billionaire Changpeng Zhao, the latest in a long string of corrupt clemencies for his benefactors.

The post has drawn more than 44,000 views. X does not break down the party affiliation of those who read Schiff's posts, but even the most diehard liberal would be wincing at Schiff's hypocrisy.

Where was Schiff when President Biden abused his pardon power? Did he rush to the floor of the House of Representatives to condemn Biden?

Let's recap. As President Joe Biden prepared to exit office in January 2025, he unleashed an unprecedented wave of clemency, issuing over 4,000 pardons in his final months, including pardons for nonviolent offenders and preemptive pardons for high-profile allies to shield them from potential Trump-era prosecutions. Biden issued more pardons than any prior president, including those who served multiple terms, covering individual pardons, commutations, and broad proclamations.

On December 1, 2024, he pardoned his son, Hunter Biden, breaking prior pledges. Preemptive measures on January 19 favored family and critics, sparking debates over executive overreach.

Among the ten notable individuals who were granted pardons or preemptive clemency were Hunter Biden, for federal gun and tax violations; his uncle James Biden and aunt Valerie Biden Owens, preemptively for unspecified potential crimes; Dr. Anthony Fauci, shielded from retaliation over COVID policies; Gen. Mark Milley, protected amid Trump's "traitor" accusations; former Rep. Liz Cheney, for Jan. 6 committee involvement; Frank Biden, James's brother, preemptively pardoned; Sara Biden, James's wife; John Owens, Valerie's husband; members of the Jan. 6 House Select Committee (as a group, including Bennie Thompson); and Christopher Krebs, ex-CISA director, for debunking 2020 election fraud claims.

Controversy erupted over the autopen's extensive use, authorized by Chief of Staff Jeff Zients without Biden's direct signature. However, Biden insisted he made all the decisions.

These moves, largely autopen-signed, fueled GOP investigations into their validity, with House Oversight deeming them potentially "void" without documented Biden consent, while Democrats decried it as partisan sabotage.

Biden was a one-term president, the first since George H.W. Bush, who left the Oval Office on January 20, 1993. So how do Biden's pardon numbers compare with Bush's?

George H.W. Bush's single term yielded a modest 77 clemency acts, including 75 pardons and three commutations, reflecting a restrained approach amid the War on Drugs era. His most infamous were the December 24, 1992, preemptive pardons for six Iran-Contra figures (e.g., Caspar Weinberger, Elliott Abrams), and halting investigations into Reagan-era attempts by the Democrats to malign both Reagan and Bush. Bush's grants focused on nonviolent offenders and allies, with an approval rate of fewer than 20% for petitions, far below historical norms.

To Leftists who want to compare Biden's pardons with those of another single-term Democratic president, we have to go all the way back to President Carter. The peanut farmer from Plains, Georgia, built and maintained a reputation for honesty and integrity throughout his career, and this reflected in his actions during his pardon.

Carter issued no pardons for family members or friends, and no preemptive pardons. Zero.

In September 1979, Carter commuted the sentences of Puerto Rican nationalists Oscar Collazo, who had attempted to assassinate President Truman in 1950, and three others (Irving Flores, Rafael Cancel Miranda, and Lolita Lebrón) who participated in a 1954 shooting at the U.S. House of Representatives. These individuals had served between 25 and 29 years in prison.

Carter also commuted the sentence of G. Gordon Liddy, the Watergate mastermind, in April 1977, "in the interest of equity and fairness," after Liddy had served 52 months. Additionally, Carter commuted the prison sentence of Patty Hearst in 1979 after she had served 22 months of a seven-year sentence for bank robbery following her kidnapping.

Despite false claims on social media, Carter did not pardon his brother Billy Carter, who was involved in a Libyan foreign agent controversy but was never criminally charged.

President Carter’s most notable acts of clemency aimed to heal wounds from the Vietnam War and redress extraordinary prison sentences. He commuted sentences for over 200,000 Vietnam War draft evaders. His most significant acts of clemency involved controversial figures from past political conflicts rather than his personal associates.

Schiff himself received a preemptive pardon from President Biden on January 20, as one of nine members of the House January 6 committee who investigated the Capitol attack. Despite receiving the pardon, Schiff called it "unnecessary" and "unwise," though he stated he understood why Biden felt compelled to issue it, given threats from President Trump.

The pardons are described as "full and unconditional" and cover any offenses related to the "activities or subject matter" of the January 6 committee, with no time limit. The pardon functions like a shield, giving Schiff immunity from any possible charges related to his committee work, though he has not been charged with any crime.

If Schiff accepts his pardon, he could be compelled to testify about matters covered by the pardon. He would not be able to invoke Fifth Amendment protections because there would be no threat of incrimination. When the prospect of criminal liability disappears because someone has accepted a presidential pardon, the privilege against self-incrimination also disappears.

Of all Senate Democrats, Schiff should have been the last to lecture on pardons. Decent people would have shied away from the topic. That he celebrated it in an X post shows what a ruthless and unprincipled leader he is.

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📊 Market Mood — Friday, October 31, 2025

🟩 Futures Edge Higher
U.S. stock futures pointed to a positive open on Friday, lifted by upbeat Amazon and Apple results and easing global trade worries. S&P 500 futures rose 0.6%, and Nasdaq 100 gained 1.1%, while the Dow was flat.

🟨 Amazon Delivers Strong Quarter
Amazon shares jumped after earnings topped forecasts, driven by strength in its AWS cloud and AI services. Revenue rose 13% to $180.2 billion, and profits beat estimates despite one-time charges. The company now projects holiday-quarter sales of $206–$213 billion and expects full-year capex to reach $125 billion as it deepens AI investments.

🟦 Apple Sees Bright Holiday Outlook
Apple climbed premarket after projecting 10–12% revenue growth for the holiday quarter, its strongest forecast in years. CEO Tim Cook said the iPhone 17 will lead to the best December quarter “in the history of the company.” September-quarter results slightly missed on iPhone sales, but overall earnings topped expectations.

🟩 Nvidia Strikes South Korea AI Deal
Nvidia announced a plan to supply 260,000 advanced AI chips to South Korea, partnering with Samsung, SK Group, and Hyundai to build smart factories and expand domestic AI capacity. CEO Jensen Huang called the initiative a “new export of intelligence” for Korea.

🟥 China’s Factory Activity Contracts Again
China’s manufacturing PMI fell to 49.0 in October, signaling a seventh straight month of contraction. Weak demand and persistent U.S. tariffs continue to weigh on the world’s second-largest economy, highlighting pressure for new stimulus from Beijing.

🗓️ Key Economic Events — Friday, October 31, 2025

🟧 8:30 AM — Core PCE Price Index (MoM & YoY, Sep)
The Core Personal Consumption Expenditures Index — the Fed’s preferred inflation gauge — measures underlying price pressures by excluding food and energy. It offers crucial insight into whether inflation is cooling enough to justify future rate cuts.

🟨 9:45 AM — Chicago PMI (Oct)
The Chicago Purchasing Managers’ Index tracks business activity across manufacturing and services in the Midwest. A reading above 50 signals expansion, while below 50 points to contraction — a key signal of industrial momentum.