Biden faces consequences from pardon for son

In less than two months, US President Joe Biden will leave the White House and hand over power to President-elect Donald Trump. At that "sunset of his term", he made a controversial decision to sign a pardon for his son Hunter Biden, something he had repeatedly said he would not do.

Biden pardoned not only his son for tax and gun crimes, but also for any “offenses against the United States” Hunter may have committed between January 1, 2014 and December 1, 2024.

Biden’s decision to grant a comprehensive, unconditional pardon quickly drew criticism from allies and opponents alike. Hours after the announcement, some Democrats said they personally sympathized with Biden’s decision to pardon his only surviving son, but they worried that the move would send a serious message that the powerful enjoy special privileges.

"Such a sweeping pardon for a family member sets a bad precedent and undermines confidence in the office of the presidency," Rep. Jared Golden, a Democrat, wrote on social media.

Democratic Congresswoman Marie Gluesenkamp Perez commented that the US President's decision has further convinced voters that "people with influence often get preferential treatment", which is contrary to the values ​​that Mr. Biden has pursued throughout his political career.

President Biden has often said that "no one is above the law" and has always prided himself in public on his fair stance and efforts to protect American democratic values. But the decision to pardon his son has reversed all that, even though many people believe that the US President "had no other choice".

Hunter was found guilty in June of three felony counts stemming from his purchase of a handgun while addicted to drugs in 2018. Hunter is scheduled to be sentenced on December 12. The current president's son also pleaded guilty in September to nine counts of avoiding paying $1.4 million in taxes while spending the money on drugs, prostitutes and luxury goods.

"As a father, I understand the action. But if you want people to trust government, this decision is a failure," Rep. Greg Landsman, a Democrat from Ohio, wrote on social media on December 2.

"The President's decision has put personal interests above the mission, eroding Americans' trust that the justice system is fair and equal for all," criticized Democratic Senator Michael Bennet.

In explaining his pardon, President Biden cited a plea deal his son reached with prosecutors in 2023 that later fell apart. He said the deal fell apart because of “political pressure from opponents,” but the judge in charge of the case dismissed it, saying she did so because it was not due process.

Republicans were quick to seize the opportunity, criticizing Mr. Biden for reneging on his promise to protect his family. They said the pardon decision showed that it was Mr. Biden, not President-elect Trump, who was weaponizing the justice system.

Trump said in a social media post that those who stormed the Capitol to prevent the certification of Biden’s victory in 2021 should also be pardoned. During the campaign, Trump did not rule out the possibility of pardoning members of extremist groups that participated in the Capitol riot, such as the Proud Boys and the Oath Keepers.

Republican Rep. James Comer, chairman of the House Oversight Committee, has spent years investigating Hunter as part of efforts to consider impeachment. Comer criticized Biden's decision, saying "both the president and his family are doing everything they can to avoid accountability."

“Faith in our justice system has been damaged almost irreparably by the Biden decision and the way they abused it,” House Speaker Mike Johnson said of the pardon.

Biden's 180-degree change on pardoning his son has prompted Republicans to accuse the president of lying to the public ahead of the election. The White House has tried to explain that Biden had "a very difficult time" making the decision.

Observers say that in addition to eroding the post-White House legacy, Mr. Biden's pardon has eliminated long-standing standards protecting the independence of the judicial system from politics, as well as giving Republicans a rare opportunity to promote efforts to reform the federal government.

Mr Trump has repeatedly pledged to reform the justice system and has been ready to put his plans into action by appointing several close allies to key positions. Kash Patel, Mr Trump’s new FBI director, has long been an outspoken critic of some federal agencies, pledging to dismantle the “deep state”. The Justice Department leadership position has also been given to a loyal ally, Pam Bondi.

“Joe Biden was elected to bring stability after chaos, to restore institutions, to restore norms. And his end-of-term pardons overshadowed that,” said Timothy Naftali, a presidential historian and researcher at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs.

But many close allies say Mr. Biden has good reason to act. The president believes his only surviving son has struggled to rebuild his life after years of addiction. He worries that attacks and investigations could jeopardize Hunter’s efforts to rebuild his life. And he has less than two months in a position to help protect his son from all those threats.

"I don't think this was an easy decision for Joe Biden. But it was a much more personal decision and the cost was much higher," said Democratic Senator Doug Jones, a longtime Biden ally and friend.