US President Donald Trump, while appearing for his first full media interview after assuming office, indirectly threatened his predecessor, ex-president Joe Biden. During the conversation with Sean Hannity of Fox Star, Trump, in a cryptic warning of sorts, commented that Biden should have pardoned himself before vacating the White House.

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What did Trump say?

Joe Biden, in one of his last-minute actions before leaving office, pardoned some members of his own family and some of Trump's political enemies. When asked by Hannity what he thought about the pardons, the newly inaugurated US president pointedly said: "And you know what the funny thing...maybe the sad thing is - he didn't give himself a pardon." 

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"And you look at it, it all had to do with him," Trump added.

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He also noted that at the end of his first stint in the White House, Trump did not give himself or his allies pardons.

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Following his first term as POTUS, Trump was charged in four separate criminal cases.

"I was given the option, they said 'sir would you like to pardon everybody, including yourself.' I said I'm not going to pardon anybody, we didn't do anything wrong," said Trump.

"You had [former Trumpe aide Steve] Bannon put in jail, you had [ex-Trump ally] Peter Navarro put in jail, you had people who suffered," he added. 

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Bannon, Trump's long-time political strategist, served four months in prison for defying a Congressional subpoena as his testimony on the January 6 Capitol attack was wanted. Navarro was also in jail for four months for a contempt of Congress conviction.  

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Is it a threat?

Trump's cryptic comment comes after the Republican previously said he wants "retribution" against the Biden justice system, which he claims was weaponised against him and other Republicans.

It must be noted that in the US, the Justice Department is supposed to act independently of the White House.

(With inputs from agencies)