President Joe Biden on Monday issued an extraordinary slate of preemptive pardons for prominent critics of President-elect Donald Trump and members of his own family, using executive prerogative as a shield against revenge by his incoming successor while also guaranteeing his closest relatives aren’t subject to future prosecutions.

U.S. President Joe Biden has pardoned Dr. Anthony Fauci, Liz Cheney and members of the House committee that investigated the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, and retired general Mark Milley, to guard against potential retaliation by the incoming Donald Trump administration.