Biden Pardons Hunter

President Joe Biden pardoned his son, Hunter Biden, on Sunday evening, weeks before the president is set to leave office. The decision erases Hunter Biden’s convictions for federal gun and tax charges and preempts any potential federal offenses he may have committed over the past decade. This sweeping pardon, which Biden defended as a necessary response to an unfair judicial process, marks a sharp reversal from his earlier promises to let the justice system run its course without interference.

The Decision: A Father’s Love or Political Favoritism?

In a heartfelt statement, Biden explained his decision as both a father and a president. “From the day I took office, I said I would not interfere with the Justice Department’s decision-making, and I kept my word even as I have watched my son being selectively, and unfairly, prosecuted,” Biden wrote. He described the charges against Hunter as politically motivated, claiming his son was treated differently than others facing similar allegations.

Hunter Biden, now 54, was convicted on multiple charges this year, including lying on a federal firearm form about his drug use and failing to pay over $1.4 million in taxes during years marked by addiction and lavish spending. Despite his criminal record, President Biden argued that his son’s legal troubles stemmed more from political attacks than from genuine legal concerns. “No reasonable person who looks at the facts of Hunter’s cases can reach any other conclusion than Hunter was singled out only because he is my son—and that is wrong,” Biden asserted.

The president also highlighted Hunter’s recovery from addiction, framing the pardon as a defense of his son’s progress. “There has been an effort to break Hunter—who has been five and a half years sober, even in the face of unrelenting attacks and selective prosecution,” Biden stated. “In trying to break Hunter, they’ve tried to break me—and there’s no reason to believe it will stop here. Enough is enough.”

An About-Face on Pardoning Hunter

President Biden’s decision is particularly striking given his repeated earlier promises that he would not pardon his son. In June, when Hunter was convicted on gun charges, Biden told ABC News he would “abide by the jury’s decision.” Later, as Hunter’s sentencing drew closer, Biden reaffirmed his stance, stating, “I am not going to do anything.”

The sudden shift came after a Thanksgiving weekend spent with Hunter on Nantucket, where the two were seen attending Mass and spending time with family. According to White House insiders, Biden struggled with the decision but ultimately concluded that the legal system had been manipulated to harm him politically by targeting his son.

“Here’s the truth: I believe in the justice system, but as I have wrestled with this, I also believe raw politics has infected this process and it led to a miscarriage of justice,” Biden wrote in his statement. He framed the pardon as an act of transparency, urging Americans to understand his choice. “I hope Americans will understand why a father and a President would come to this decision.”

Hunter’s Legal Troubles

Hunter Biden’s convictions included lying about his drug use on a federal form when purchasing a gun and failing to pay taxes during a time of substance abuse and reckless spending. Prosecutors emphasized his addiction, presenting evidence that Hunter was actively using drugs when he purchased a firearm in 2018. Just days after the purchase, he texted a relative about waiting for a drug dealer and admitted to smoking crack cocaine.

In addition to the gun charges, Hunter pleaded guilty to nine federal tax offenses in September, avoiding a trial that was set to highlight his years of excessive spending. Despite the gravity of the charges, Biden argued that his son’s behavior would typically have resulted in non-criminal resolutions for others. “Those who were late paying their taxes because of serious addictions, but paid them back subsequently with interest and penalties, are typically given non-criminal resolutions,” the president said.

Trump’s Reaction and a Charge of Hypocrisy

Former President Donald Trump, now President-elect following his victory in the 2024 election, wasted no time criticizing Biden’s decision. Trump, however, sparked accusations of hypocrisy when he admitted during the campaign that he might have considered pardoning Hunter if their roles were reversed. “I wouldn’t take it off the books,” Trump told radio host Hugh Hewitt in October. “See, unlike Joe Biden, despite what they’ve done to me, where they’ve gone after me so viciously… I think what Hunter did is terrible. He’s a bad boy.”

Trump’s comments highlight a complex double standard in political discourse. While he condemned Biden’s pardon as an abuse of power, his own history of controversial pardons—including for his son-in-law Jared Kushner’s father, Charles Kushner—drew similar scrutiny. Critics argue that Trump’s remarks about potentially pardoning Hunter further blur the lines between principle and partisanship.

Reactions Across the Spectrum

The pardon has elicited a wide range of reactions. Critics have accused Biden of undermining the rule of law and using his power to protect a family member. Republican lawmakers decried the pardon as a politically motivated move that erodes public trust in the justice system. “This sets a dangerous precedent,” one Republican leader stated. “No one should be above the law—not even the president’s son.”

On the other hand, Biden’s supporters have framed the decision as a courageous stand against political weaponization. “How could he not?” said one senior administration official, comparing Biden’s move to Trump’s pardons during his presidency. Hunter’s own statement reflected a mixture of gratitude and regret. “I will never take the clemency I have been given today for granted,” he said, pledging to dedicate his life to helping others in recovery.

A Defining Moment in Biden’s Legacy

As President Biden prepares to exit the Oval Office, the pardon of his son Hunter is likely to remain a defining moment of his presidency. For some, it is a symbol of compassion and loyalty in the face of adversity. For others, it represents a troubling deviation from Biden’s commitment to justice and integrity.

Editor’s Note: This is a surprise to no one, who has watched Joe Biden’s Presidency and indeed his whole career, of self serving political machinations and mediocrity. While I didn’t actually expect it until Joe’s final week or so, it makes sense for him to go ahead and get it over with. As to his legacy, the disasters, the failures and the incompetence are more likely to be remembered than his pardoning of his son.

Statement from President Joe BidenHome

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“Today, I signed a pardon for my son Hunter. From the day I took office, I said I would not interfere with the Justice Department’s decision-making, and I kept my word even as I have watched my son being selectively, and unfairly, prosecuted. Without aggravating factors like use in a crime, multiple purchases, or buying a weapon as a straw purchaser, people are almost never brought to trial on felony charges solely for how they filled out a gun form. Those who were late paying their taxes because of serious addictions, but paid them back subsequently with interest and penalties, are typically given non-criminal resolutions. It is clear that Hunter was treated differently.

“The charges in his cases came about only after several of my political opponents in Congress instigated them to attack me and oppose my election. Then, a carefully negotiated plea deal, agreed to by the Department of Justice, unraveled in the court room – with a number of my political opponents in Congress taking credit for bringing political pressure on the process. Had the plea deal held, it would have been a fair, reasonable resolution of Hunter’s cases.

“No reasonable person who looks at the facts of Hunter’s cases can reach any other conclusion than Hunter was singled out only because he is my son – and that is wrong. There has been an effort to break Hunter – who has been five and a half years sober, even in the face of unrelenting attacks and selective prosecution. In trying to break Hunter, they’ve tried to break me – and there’s no reason to believe it will stop here. Enough is enough.

“For my entire career I have followed a simple principle: just tell the American people the truth. They’ll be fair-minded. Here’s the truth: I believe in the justice system, but as I have wrestled with this, I also believe raw politics has infected this process and it led to a miscarriage of justice – and once I made this decision this weekend, there was no sense in delaying it further. I hope Americans will understand why a father and a President would come to this decision.”