High-profile Democrats and President Joe Biden himself spoke out against pre-emptive pardons when they thought then-President Donald Trump would use them, but turned hypocritical when it was Biden's turn to try to protect his family and others from future prosecutions.

"The precedent of giving blanket pardons, preemptive blanket pardons on the way out of an administration, I think, is a precedent we don't want to set," Senator-elect Adam Schiff (D-CA) warned in a December interview with ABC "This Week."

Less than a month later, Biden pardoned COVID health advisor Anthony Fauci, Gen. Mark Milley, and members of his family including his 2 brothers, brother-in-law, and sister. None of those he pardoned had ever been charged with a crime.

He also pre-emptively pardoned members of the January 6 Select Committee in the House, fearing that the new Trump administration would try to charge them criminally.

"Worst kind" of politics

"My family has been subjected to unrelenting attacks and threats, motivated solely by a desire to hurt me – the worst kind of partisan politics. Unfortunately, I have no reason to believe these attacks will end," Biden said about the pardons of his family members.

Former President Bill Clinton said on "The View" that he didn't want to give pardon advice, but added, "I hope he won't do that."

Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) said on CNN, "When we talk about a preemptive pardon, where does it start and where does it stop?"

Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) said, "I am not a fan of these [preemptive pardons]. I didn't like the pardon of the president's son. I didn't think that that was prudent. But I also am very concerned about this idea of preemptive pardons."

Biden's warnings

Biden himself warned in 2020 against pre-emptive pardons when he thought Trump might pardon his children and personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani.

Trump didn't pardon them, but he maybe should have pardoned Giuliani, who has faced criminal and civil litigation since then.

While pardons protect those pardoned from criminal charges, they do not protect from civil lawsuits or penalties.

They will prevent Trump from using his DOJ to go after his political enemies, but it's doubtful he would do so anyway.

He's got a lot to do in fixing the mess created by Biden over the last four years without trying to get revenge on them.

The best revenge will be his success compared with their failure, for all of history to behold.