“Today, I signed a pardon for my son Hunter.” So begins the press release issued by the White House which demonstrates a marked change of position from what President Joe Biden had said so far.
This decision marks a significant reversal for Biden, who had previously stated he would not use his executive authority to pardon his son. The pardon covers Hunter Biden’s federal gun charges and tax evasion charges. In his statement, President Biden emphasized that he believes the charges against his son were politically motivated and that Hunter was singled out because of his relationship to the president.
In recent months, in the midst of his son Hunter’s two trials, one for the tax evasion case and one for illegal weapons charges, President Biden had assured the public that he would not intervene in the matter, either by pardoning him or commuting any sentence. However, at the beginning of the last month of his presidency, the White House chief retracted his previous statements and before sentencing that was due on Dec. 16 for the first case and on Dec. 12 for the second, announced the pardon.
Inside sources told NBCN that it had been decided that the president would publicly declare that he would not pardon his son even though the conditions were still to be discussed. However, during press briefings, even the most recent ones, Biden’s spokesmen kept maintaining that the White House chief had already made up his mind and would stand by his position.
It happened during an interview with the president in June: when asked if he would rule out pardoning his son, Biden replied bluntly, “Yes.” It happened again at the time of sentencing on illegal firearms charges last July: in a press release, the White House chief reiterated that he would respect the jury’s outcome.
The move has sparked a range of reactions, with some supporting the decision and others criticizing it as an abuse of power.
