Summary
President Joe Biden pardoned his son Hunter Biden, reversing his prior stance against using executive clemency.
The pardon covers Hunter’s federal gun conviction and tax evasion guilty plea, sparking political controversy.
Biden cited political attacks and a “miscarriage of justice” as reasons for his decision, emphasizing his son’s recovery from addiction and the targeting of his family.
Critics argue the move undermines the judicial process, while supporters view it as within Biden’s constitutional powers.
This decision shields Hunter from potential prison time as Biden nears the end of his presidency.
I’m not happy about this. Not one bit. Just like how I wouldn’t have been happy to hear about Trump pardoning one of his own kids for breaking the law. As a matter of fact, I’m furious reading some of the comments in this thread.
It shocks me to see people defending this. We fought against the Republicans to prevent misuse of executive powers exactly like this. How the fuck can you sit there and rationalize this while saying it’s wrong for Trump to pardon the Jan 6th insurrectionists? or himself for that matter?
This is a black stain on Biden’s presidential legacy. It’s shit like this that puts wind in the sails of all the crazy Republican conspiracy theorists out there. Now, every single motherfucker who ranted and raved about the “Biden Crime Family” since 2020 was just proven right, just like how all the people who said that Trump’s convictions were politically motivated were proven right when Jack Smith dropped the charges. It makes us look like fucking morons and hypocrites.
No, before anyone says it, it is not smart to stoop to their level when basically the only messaging we sent out during the entire 2024 campaign was that we were the morally superior choice. That someone who doesn’t respect the rule of law has no business being president. Now, we don’t even have that to lean on.
100%
I’m not super shocked to see people defending this because a chunk of people will always play defense. I’m shocked to see how many are defending this. Nobody should give a shit about Hunter Biden. The attention brought onto him was certainly politically motivated but the trial itself was not. He did the crimes and he should be ready for the consequences. The guy is clearly a grifter.
I don’t care if Democrats stoop to the level of Republicans when it is actually defending our rights. When it is for blatant nepotism though? Fuck that with a sharp stick.
Funnily enough, the local satire paper here ran a story right before Thanksgiving with the headline “Turkey Pardoned by President Looks an Awful Lot Like Hunter Biden” with a picture of Hunter in a turkey suit. I think I would actually be more supportive if that had actually happened.
It’s very easy to defend Joe. He has zero incentive not to pardon his son.
I feel like the president should look out for the interests of the country. But maybe I’m an idealist in that regard.
This has nothing at all to do with the interests of the country.
lol lol that sounded really naive, I’m sorry
Joe isn’t really president anymore.
While it’s a bit disappointing, I understand that one perspective is that it is a defensive move. I don’t think it is unreasonable to assume that Trump is going to abuse his power and weaponize the Justice Dept to extract everything he can, politically, from the resulting show.
I don’t know whether or not Biden would have done the exact same thing if it was a more reasonable Republican administration coming in. That would be far more telling. It might have been that Biden was making a show of it with the assumption that he’d be overseeing and influencing it all as president and if that weren’t the case he’d be abusing his authority to spare his son.
Yes, it’s frustrating because of the message it send but frankly, I don’t think it’ll cause much trouble. Everyone who’d see it as an admission of the guilt of the “Biden crime family” wasn’t going to change their mind, even if Hunter was publicly drawn and quartered by the Biden administration. Those folks would immediately move the goal post - “Yeah, whatever, but what about…” or just insist Hunter’s death was fake and it was all sham.
Hahahahaha
Yeah, one year of unabashed support for a genocidal war wouldn’t be that much of a stain.
That’s true too but the framing is what cracks me up. This idea of “legacy” or “being on the right side of history”…it’s all a kind of Aaron Sorkin / Jon Meacham question that does not really seem to affect anything or matter to anyone in the electorate.
EDIT: I’m guilty of thinking this way about the presidency in the past, but what Trump changed for me – likely for a lifetime – is that “the office” doesn’t imbue the office holder any dignity, respect, or gravitas any longer in my eyes. Honestly, it never should have in the first place.
The idea of the office as belonging to dignified holders who always have the nation’s best interests at heart is purely a fictional, sentimental framing of what it actually is and is not supported at all by an accurate reading of history. Some of them really try to do good things for people. Most of them do things that are bad but do them for well-intended reasons. But some of them – maybe even a lot of them – are unadulterated assholes who deserve no respect at all.
Republicans in Congress are never going to want to limit excessive executive power if it’s only ever used in service of things they like.
The pardon power was exactly for this. The entire investigation was a political witch hunt. It’s meant to prevent exactly this kind of mistreatment in the justice system. Just because the person happens to be the president’s son changes nothing except that people will fall into GOP propaganda they’ve been setting up for years, while they push this investigation.
Then pardon him for all other crimes, not what he pled guilty/ convicted on. Sends the wrong message to pardon him on everything.
Sentence Trump first.
My understanding is that he’s trying to prevent a witch hunt against his son when Trump takes office. I would have done the same thing
Then you shouldn’t be president.
sorry, too late
President Carter!
If Democrats are going to do this for Hunter then lets do it for the illegal immigrants in federal prison who are probably going to be deported by fascists. And lets give them citizenship too. If Hunter shouldn’t be the subject of a political witch hunt then neither should immigrants.
Until then this pardon is nepotism. And I want none of it in the government. edit: typo
yeah
And we lost.
Americans want corruption. We voted explicitly for it.
No point in taking the high road or honoring decorum anymore. It doesn’t work to win elections in America.
I don’t want to live in an America where the government is run by people who are in a race to the bottom. I won’t be complicit in the corruption. It’s time to call a stone a stone.
You already do.
Have fun changing it. The majority of Americans just disagreed with you and voted for blatant corruption.
It shocks me that you did not 100% realize a year ago that this was exactly what was going to happen. It was a bullshit witch hunt charge that was only prosecuted because Hunter Biden was a high profile person.
So if you knew your son was about to be thrown in prison by your political opponents, you would do nothing? Then feel good about yourself?
Are you an asshole or a liar? Or both?
To answer your question, I wouldn’t feel good, I would feel great.
I don’t care what you think I am. I want justice. The American people want justice. This isn’t justice. It’s corruption. We shouldn’t want corruption in the government, because that’s how countries deteriorate.
People want to live in a country with a fair justice system. Biden contributed to the system he says was unfair to his son and then saves his son from it. Biden is fucking off with his family, they got theirs. We don’t have a reason to defend Biden anymore. Blue MAGA isn’t useful for winning elections.
And how exactly did that work out? I don’t think moral superiority is at all a helpful thing in politics.
Moral superiority is an important cultural and ideological component, it’s something to strive for. But if your political opponents keep bending rules to their favor, being civil seems like a complete waste of time. I agree with the other comments pointing out that this isn’t a win for voters at all.
It isn’t a win. But it isn’t a loss either. It just doesn’t matter.
Maybe it’s a step towards losing that holier than thou attitude and actually getting things done.
Based take, also great comment
I get where you’re coming from, but the political opposition in America to democrats is now literally Nazis and white supremacists. Bidens action isn’t a win for voters in any sense, that’s the only objectionable part tbh.