U.S. President Joe Biden took the unprecedented step of granting his son, Hunter Biden, a presidential pardon on Sunday night.
Hunter has been convicted of federal gun and tax evasion charges and was facing sentencing. The president has now granted him a “full and unconditional pardon” for any offences he committed from January 1, 2014, to December 1, 2024.
Biden said he took the decision because “raw politics has infected this process” that led to his son’s conviction. He said he “hopes Americans will understand why a father and a President would make this decision.”
The President acknowledged his son’s struggle with addiction but said that political opponents tried to use it to “break” Hunter. “Any reasonable person can conclude that Hunter was singled out only because he is my son — and that is wrong,” the president said.
A senior White House official said Biden informed senior aides about his decision on Sunday, just moments before going public.
Hunter Biden has never denied his challenges but claims to be clean now. “I have maintained my sobriety for more than five years because of my deep faith and the unwavering love and support of my family and friends.”
He thanked his father, the president, for the clemency.
Political Reactions
However, this decision is a marked departure from Biden’s earlier position against using executive authority to benefit a family member.
Just months prior, Biden had insisted he would not pardon his son, saying in June after Hunter was found guilty on gun charges, “I will not pardon him.”
Except Hunter Biden. pic.twitter.com/7rsQ9QOP07
— Ian Haworth (@ighaworth) December 2, 2024
Even recent commentary by White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre restated that Biden would not change that position or principle. All that is now thrown to the winds.
Political reactions came swiftly. Steven Cheung, a spokesman for President-elect Donald Trump, latched onto it: “The Democrat-controlled DOJ and other radical prosecutors are guilty of weaponizing the justice system,” he said.
Hunter’s case is the first involving the child of a sitting president.
Joe Biden dropped out of the presidential race in July but avoided doing the pardon before last month’s election, which could have generated political blowback for the Democrats who rode the high horse of integrity when they painted Trump as a felon.
"No. No. It's a no. It will always be a no. Biden will not pardon his son Hunter."
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) December 2, 2024
Guess what? THEY LIED. pic.twitter.com/tClxjSiyLJ
There were 12 charges against Hunter Biden, of which he was convicted or pleaded guilty. They would have carried a maximum prison sentence of 42 years, although maximum sentences are typically not given for these crimes.
The President’s Son, Hunter
Born February 4, 1970, Hunter Biden is an attorney and businessman. He is the second son of President Biden from his late first wife. He began his career at MBNA and later served on BHR Partners and Burisma Holdings boards.
Biden faced legal troubles, including a conviction for firearms charges in June 2024 and a guilty plea for tax offences in September 2024, stemming from investigations that began in 2018.
In December 2023, he was indicted on multiple tax charges. His legal issues included allegations of lobbying for a Romanian businessman while his father was Vice President. Thanks to his father, who is now the president of the United States of America, he is now a free man.
Now pardoned, Hunter Biden will enjoy the freedom that could have been elusive without his father’s influence. This raises fundamental questions about the principle of equality before the law—whether it serves as a principled reality in America or a rhetorical tool to preserve societal order.
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