White House defends Hunter Biden pardon amid backlash

The White House has come to the defense of President Joe Biden following his decision to pardon his son, Hunter, despite previously stating that he had no intention of issuing such a presidential pardon.

The press secretary explained that Biden has granted a pardon to his son, who was scheduled for sentencing this month in two federal cases. This move is intended to protect him from possible attacks by the political opponents of the current administration.

The broad pardon encompasses any possible federal offenses that 54-year-old Hunter might have engaged in during a ten-year period.

Republicans have strongly criticized the decision, with President-elect Donald Trump describing it as "a wrongful act and a failure of justice."

On Monday, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre informed reporters that President Biden had given a lot of thought to the decision while spending the Thanksgiving holiday with his family on Nantucket Island, Massachusetts, over the weekend.

The Democratic president granted the pardon on Sunday evening just before departing for an official trip to Africa.

Ms. Jean-Pierre spoke to journalists on Air Force One while traveling to Angola, stating, "He has faith in the legal system, but he feels that the harsh realities of politics tainted the process and resulted in a wrongful outcome."

Ms. Jean-Pierre stated that President Biden feels Hunter has been unfairly targeted due to his identity, and that those opposing the president will keep pursuing actions against his son.

"This is the reason behind the president's decision," she continued. Just last month, Ms. Jean-Pierre was informing reporters that Biden had no intention of granting his son a pardon.

In June, Hunter Biden made history by becoming the first child of a current US president to be convicted of a crime. A jury in Delaware determined that he was guilty on three counts for providing false information regarding his drug use on a form while purchasing a handgun.

In September, he admitted to federal tax offenses, which involved not filing or paying his taxes, evading taxes, and submitting a fraudulent tax return.

The pardon applies to any possible federal offenses he might have committed from January 2014 to December 2024, extending beyond just the tax and gun violations.

It goes back to the year he joined the board of Burisma, a Ukrainian energy firm, during a period when his father was serving as the US vice president and played a significant role in shaping American policy regarding Kyiv.

This summer, a congressional investigation alleged that Biden was untruthful when he claimed he had no part in his son's business activities, although the impeachment attempt by Republican lawmakers lost momentum. Biden has denied any misconduct.

David Weiss, the special counsel in charge of both cases, has unequivocally dismissed allegations that the younger Biden was targeted due to his family connections.

Mr. Weiss's team stated in a court document on Monday that there has never been any proof of biased or unfair prosecution in this case.

On Monday, Jill Biden, the First Lady of the United States, expressed her support for her son's pardon during a statement made from the White House.

The president's choice ignited an intense backlash from Trump and other prominent Republicans, who have repeatedly claimed that the Biden administration is using the justice department as a tool against its opponents.

House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson stated that the Bidens have significantly harmed public confidence in our justice system through their misuse of it.

James Comer, the chairman of the House oversight committee, accused Biden of having "lied from beginning to end regarding his family's unethical influence-peddling actions."

Democrats, who have often claimed that Trump ignores legal standards, were relatively quiet in their criticism this time.

"Senator Michael Bennet from Colorado expressed on X (formerly Twitter) that President Biden prioritized his own interests over his responsibilities, which further damages the trust Americans have in the justice system's fairness and equality for everyone."

Democratic Congressman Greg Stanton from Arizona dismissed President Biden's assertion that the case was unjust.

"This wasn't a prosecution driven by political motives," he stated. "Hunter broke the law and was found guilty by a jury of his fellow citizens."

Neama Rahmani, a former federal prosecutor, expressed to the BBC that he thinks Biden has deceived the American public.

"Mr. Rahmani stated that President Biden has not been honest all along when he claimed he would not grant his son a pardon."

From the start, the intention was to grant a pardon, but President Biden deceived the American public because he and Kamala Harris were caught up in an election campaign at that time.

According to Mr. Rahmani, when Trump assumes his position in January, he won't have the ability to revoke the pardon granted by his predecessor.

He stated that the president has complete authority when it comes to granting pardons.

Mr. Rahmani continued, stating that there is no action Donald Trump or the Republicans can take to prevent it.