Democratic strategist Julian Epstein said President Biden's sweeping pardon for his son Hunter on Sunday undermines “Democrats' self-proclaimed authority on the rule of law.”
Epstein, a former top House adviser, said, “While people may sympathize with the father's attempts to help his son, this is difficult for the American public and is very bad branding of the president and “Many feel they have already failed.” A former staff director for the Judiciary Committee and the House Government Reform Committee told FOX News Digital. “Biden and those around him clearly misled the American public about his mental capacity for a second term.”
The White House announced Sunday night that the president had pardoned Hunter, 54, for any crimes he “committed or may have committed” between January 2014 and December 2024.
“The broad nature of this pardon, an all-you-can-eat 'get-out-of-jail-free' card for any illegal activity since 2014, does not address Joe Biden's own alleged pay-to-play activities. “It will definitely raise further questions because it's targeted and could have been involved, according to Republican critics,” Epstein said.
IRS special counsel says he doesn't condone Biden's 'statements' about Hunter Biden's legal saga
Hunter Biden arrives at the J. Caleb Boggs Federal Building in Wilmington, Delaware, June 6, 2024. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
A federal court convicted Hunter in June of three federal firearms charges, and he pleaded guilty to another federal felony charge in September.
“At the very least, this would completely undermine Democrats' self-proclaimed authority on the rule of law, taxing the wealthy, and background checks.”
“Biden and those around him clearly misled the American people about his mental capacity for a second term,” Epstein said. He appears to have misled the American people about his moral superiority.” .
“Democratic politicians and almost the entire chattering class signaled their virtue-touting attack on Trump by continually and sanctimoniously insisting that Biden would never forgive his son.”
The White House could not be reached for comment.
Biden twice said he would not forgive his son Hunter Biden
Hunter Biden attends an event celebrating the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Teams on the South Lawn of the White House on September 30, 2024. (Celal Gunes/Anadolu via Getty Images)
In a statement announcing the decision to pardon Hunter, Biden wrote: His son's indictment was politically motivated.
“It's clear that Mr. Hunter was treated differently,” Biden said in a statement.
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“The charges in his case only arose after several of my political opponents in Congress attacked me and incited me to oppose my election. A carefully negotiated plea deal was then made and an agreement was reached. reached.” Ministry of Justicerevealed in court – many of my political opponents in Congress take credit for bringing political pressure to this process. A plea agreement would have resulted in a fair and reasonable resolution to Hunter's case,” Biden said.
Joe Biden pauses during his speech during the Presidential Candidates Forum at Drake University on July 15, 2019 in Des Moines, Iowa. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
Hunter Biden also released a statement following his father's decision.
Biden pardons son Hunter Biden before leaving Oval Office
Hunter told Fox News: “I have acknowledged and taken responsibility for the mistakes I made during the darkest days of my addiction. Those mistakes have publicly humiliated and humiliated me and my family as a political sport. It was exploited for this purpose.” “Despite all of this, I have been able to maintain sobriety for over five years thanks to my deep faith and the unwavering love and support of my family and friends.”
On Sunday, liberal and traditional media were shaken by President Biden's repeated promises not to pardon his son Hunter. (Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images)
“In the throes of addiction, I have wasted many opportunities and advantages,” he continued. “If we never take for granted the mercy given to us, we will have the opportunity to make as much amends and rebuild our lives as possible during our recovery. I'm going to dedicate my life to that.''I have turned my back to helping those who are still suffering from this disease. ”
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In addition to Elon Musk, many politicians and pundits have pointed to the president's May 31st post about X, saying:[n]”People are above the law,” criticized the statement as hypocritical and ironic.
Several media outlets have also previously promoted the theory that Biden would never forgive Hunter.
Fox News Digital's Emma Colton, Landon Mion and Alex Nitzberg contributed to this report.
