President Biden's decision to grant his son a full and unconditional pardon comes as a surprise to the outgoing commander-in-chief, who had insisted he would not do so while extolling the importance of respecting the rule of law. , showed a surprising reversal.
For more than a year, Biden and his aides have insisted that the president would not pardon his son. They were asked multiple times if a pardon for Hunter Biden was being considered, and repeatedly answered a resounding “no.”
But Biden reversed course late Sunday, saying he would pardon Hunter Biden's son because he was chosen to face prosecution, suggesting he believed it was politics all along.
“No reasonable person considering the facts of Mr. Hunter's case could come to any other conclusion than that Mr. Hunter was chosen solely because he is my son, and that is wrong,” Biden said in a statement. “There is,” he said, adding, “Enough is enough.”
“Here's the truth. I believe in the justice system, but as I have wrestled with it, I also believe that raw politics has infected this process and that has led to miscarriages of justice. After we made this decision over the weekend, there was nothing.''It makes sense to delay it further. ”
The younger Biden faces both tax and gun charges, and was scheduled to be sentenced on the firearms charges later this month.
After Hunter Biden was found guilty in June on three charges related to a 2018 gun purchase, the president issued a statement saying, “I accept the outcome of this case and hope that Mr. Hunter will consider an appeal.'' We will continue to respect the judicial process while we do so.”
This is a position consistent with his belief in the independence of the Justice Department.
Mr. Biden has repeatedly called on Americans to trust government institutions to counter Mr. Trump's claims that the charges against him are politically motivated.
Biden also warned during his campaign that returning Trump to the White House could lead to pardons for people arrested for their actions during the January 6, 2021, riot at the Capitol. did.
At a September event, Biden called on President Trump to “stop saying we're going to pardon insurrectionists,” as part of repeated warnings about the possibility of pardons by the president-elect.
But Biden said in a statement that his calculations changed over the weekend.new york timesit was a family decision that primarily involved discussions with Hunter Biden's attorney.
Michael LaRosa, a former special assistant to the president and press secretary to first lady Jill Biden, argued that while a pardon would be bad for the Democratic Party or the president's legacy, it would be good for the presidential family.
“It's not necessarily great politics for Democrats, but it's frankly a relief for the first lady, the president, and the whole family, because I'm hoping that this finally gives us some peace and maybe closure. “The body,” he said. “This family is more experienced than most when it comes to healing, and we hope this pardon will begin that process.”
LaRosa noted that Hunter Biden's pardon was Biden's second major reversal, following his June decision to withdraw from the 2024 campaign, with serious implications for the party. He had previously been adamant that he would not forgive his son.
Biden's decision undermined the message many Democrats have been presenting throughout the Republican investigation into the Biden-Hunter trial.
“Joe… “Biden has never publicly questioned or challenged the charges.” .
“Unlike President Trump's blatant abuse of the rule of law and the relationship between the president and the Department of Justice, there is no evidence that President Biden was in any way involved in the investigation of his own son.”
The pardon allowed Republicans to go on the offensive, arguing that Biden was making a point about a politicized system.
“Recall that the Biden Justice Department tried to offer Hunter a corrupt mistress deal, only to be stopped when a judge questioned it. This entire ordeal is an affront to the rule of law.”Tom Cotton Senator (R-Ark.)I wrote to X.
President Trump and the Republican Party have regularly targeted Hunter Biden over the past four years, but the president-elect has been sending contrasting signals about his predecessor's future treatment of his son.
President Trump has hinted at the possibility of an investigation into “the entire” Biden family, but did not rule out the possibility of pardoning Hunter Biden himself.
After Biden pardoned his son, Trump called the move a “miscarriage of justice.”
President Trump has granted pardons to many allies and family members, including son-in-law Jared Kushner's father Charles Kushner, who was convicted in 2005 of illegal campaign contributions, tax evasion and witness tampering. . President Trump nominated Kushner as his candidate for ambassador to France on Sunday.
Another pardon issued by President Trump was given to former campaign manager Paul Manafort, who was convicted of tax and bank fraud for concealing money earned in Ukraine. Roger Stone, who was convicted of lying to Congress during the Trump-Russia investigation, and Steve Bannon, who was convicted of crimes related to wire fraud and money laundering.
Former Rep. Chris Carney (D-Pennsylvania), Nossaman's senior policy adviser, said Mr. Biden should take into account Mr. Trump's own actions as president and avoid any consequences for the organization resulting from a full and unconditional pardon for his son. He said the damage may have been justified.
“I'm sure Joe Biden looked at the rap sheets of those pardoned by Trump and concluded that Hunter's crimes were no worse than most of the people pardoned and commuted by Trump,” he said. .
“That's disheartening,” said Rep. Dan Goldman (D.N.Y.). [Biden] Now, Trump has said he “kept his promise” to pardon his son, but defended the move in light of President Trump's vow to seek revenge against those he considers his enemies.
“The candidates Donald Trump has endorsed, Matt Gaetz, Pam Bondi, Kash Patel, and Tulsi Gabbard, are not people who are going to practice the rule of law. He was elected to weaponize the federal government against his enemies and adversaries. And that's a risk to the rule of law. That's why Joe Biden used his authority to protect his son from weaponization. ,” Goldman said during an appearance on CNN.
“The reality is that Donald Trump tried to weaponize the Justice Department more than a dozen times in his first administration, and now he has allies in key positions at the Justice Department, and they are definitely “They are trying to further weaponize the ministry,” he added. President Trump mentions numerous indictments tried to ignite during his first term.
But other Democrats harshly criticized Biden's decision, warning that it would only embolden Trump and other future presidents.
Michigan Sen. Gary Peters: “President Biden's decision to pardon my son was wrong''said in X. “The president’s family and allies should not receive special treatment. This is an inappropriate use of power, undermines trust in government, and encourages others to bend justice to suit their own interests.” It’s encouraging.”
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D) said the move set a bad precedent that could be exploited by a future president and said it would “sadly tarnish his reputation.”
Rep. Greg Stanton (D-Ariz.) said Biden “was wrong about this” and insisted the Hunter Biden case “was not a politically motivated prosecution.”
