The White House on Monday defended President Joe Biden’s decision to pardon his son, Hunter Biden, marking a dramatic reversal after repeatedly asserting that such an action would not occur. The pardon, announced late Sunday, has sparked sharp questions about the president’s motivations and timing, just weeks before Hunter Biden’s sentencing on federal gun and tax charges.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre explained that the president’s decision stemmed from a belief that Republicans, including President-elect Donald Trump, would continue targeting Hunter Biden if the legal cases persisted into the next administration.
“One of the reasons the president did the pardon is because it didn’t seem like his political opponents would let go of it. It didn’t seem like they would move on,” Jean-Pierre said. “This is why this president took this action.”
The unexpected pardon announcement came as President Biden was departing for Angola. While he and Hunter Biden had spent Thanksgiving together in Nantucket, the press secretary emphasized that the decision was reached only after much deliberation over the weekend.
A Stark Reversal
The pardon has drawn criticism due to Biden’s prior insistence that his son would not receive special treatment. For over a year, both the president and his aides categorically denied that a pardon for Hunter Biden was on the table. When questioned on Monday about the apparent reversal, Jean-Pierre maintained that Biden had agonized over the decision and felt compelled to act after witnessing what he described as an unfair legal process.
“What he watched his son go through, an unfair process, being singled out,” Jean-Pierre said. “He believes in the Department of Justice but also believes that his son was singled out politically.”
Hunter Biden was convicted in June on three felony charges related to his 2018 purchase and possession of a firearm while using drugs. He also pleaded guilty in September to nine federal tax charges, avoiding trial by paying back taxes with interest and penalties. Critics of the prosecution, including the president, have argued that similar cases often result in less severe consequences.
Reactions Across the Aisle
The pardon has sparked debate, with Republicans accusing Biden of abusing his executive authority and Democrats defending the president’s view that Hunter Biden was unfairly targeted. President-elect Trump, during his campaign, had indicated he might consider pardoning Hunter Biden, asserting that the president’s son had been a political scapegoat.
“I wouldn’t take it off the books,” Trump said in October. “Hunter’s a bad boy. There’s no question about it. But I do think he’s been targeted.”
Legal and political analysts are divided on the implications of Biden’s move. While some argue the pardon demonstrates compassion for a family member facing intense scrutiny, others see it as undermining Biden’s long-standing claim of independence from his son’s legal troubles.
Looking Ahead
Hunter Biden is still scheduled for sentencing later this month on his federal gun and tax charges, though the pardon effectively nullifies potential prison time. The decision could reverberate politically as both Biden and Trump prepare for a likely rematch in the 2024 presidential election.
Jean-Pierre reaffirmed the president’s confidence in the Justice Department but underscored his belief that Hunter Biden’s legal woes were politically motivated. “The president wrestled with this decision, and it wasn’t taken lightly,” she said. “But at the end of the day, he felt this was the right thing to do.”
