By Ada Kessler

On December 1st, 2024, incumbent President Joe Biden pardoned his son, Hunter Biden, for his gun and tax crimes. The act of presidentially pardoning a family member is rare but not unheard of. According to CNN, only two other presidents have done so: Bill Clinton who pardoned his half-brother and Donald Trump who pardoned his son-in-law’s father. 

The U.S. Department of Justice describes the pardon as “an expression of the President’s forgiveness.” A pardon is given for those who have shown “acceptance of responsibility for the crime and established good conduct for a significant period of time” as stated here. 

Typically, people apply for a presidential pardon, and the president decides if they should be given a pardon or not. Not every pardon is applied for, however. Gerald Ford’s pardon of Richard Nixon following the Watergate scandal is perhaps the most infamous example of this. This was the type of pardon Biden used for his son.

In recent months, Biden was adamant he would not pardon his son, even with the convictions against Hunter that occurred in multiple trials over the summer. According to BBC, Biden was quoted saying “I said I’d abide by the jury decision, and I will do that. And I will not pardon him” in June 2024. He continued this notion throughout June and even into as late as November 7th.

Biden’s view made sense for him given his track record of pardoning few people. Throughout his administration, President Biden issued only 25 pardons, excluding his son. On the other hand, Donald Trump issued 148 pardons in his four year term while Barack Obama issued 212 pardons in his eight year term according to Pew Research. 

Upon seeing Biden’s record of pardoning, especially compared to that of other recent presidents, there’s no doubt that this pardon only happened because Hunter is Biden’s son. This decision was incredibly controversial, as expected. Regardless of political affiliation, it’s a bad look for anyone to consistently say one thing, then turn around and do the opposite for apparent personal reasons. 

Biden, however, is claiming that this decision was not made for his son’s gain. In an official statement regarding the pardoning of  his son, Biden claims that his son has been “selectively, and unfairly, prosecuted” and “treated differently” than other addicts who paid taxes late.

He goes on to say that the charges came out because his “political opponents in Congress instigated them” to attack him and his election. He finishes by stating that “raw politics has infected this process and it led to a miscarriage of justice.” Perhaps Biden truly believes these ideas or perhaps he just wants to save face. Regardless, the general facts of Hunter’s crimes have been made public.

Hunter Biden was convicted in June 2024 for three felony charges after he claimed he was not addicted to drugs before purchasing a gun. The jurors found him guilty of lying on this application and illegally owning a gun for 11 days. 

Additionally, he pleaded guilty to all nine counts in his case regarding tax crime. According to CNBC, Hunter was accused of “deducting money that he paid to sex workers on his taxes as a business expense.” He was also accused of  “spending millions of dollars on an extravagant lifestyle rather than paying his tax bills.” 

Hunter was facing up to 25 years for gun crimes and up to 17 years for his tax crimes. Hunter’s pardon covers these convictions as well as any other “offenses against the United States which he has committed or may have committed or taken part in during the period from January 1, 2014 through December 1, 2024” according to Associated Press. 

Whether Hunter is guilty or not, people are outraged and upsetwith Biden’s shocking decision. Republicans are as expected, not happy . Many Republican  representatives took to X to express their grievances, repeatedly calling Biden a “liar” and abuser of power. Wesley Hunt, a Texan Republican, said “Joe Biden just did the thing he told us he would never do, PARDONING his son for crimes he and the majority of the media told us he never committed.”

Some Democrats support Biden’s decision, but it seems the vast majority are against this decision. Many Democratic representatives also took to X to express their grievances. Colorado Democrat Michael Bennet stated that the pardon placed “personal interest ahead of duty and further erodes Americans’ faith that the justice system is fair and equal for all.”

While it seems that most people are against this pardon, some people have a more nonchalant opinion, or rather a more anti-Trump opinion. TikTok user @allysammarco, whose account is dedicated to politics, posted a video after the pardon that read “Joe Biden pardoning his only living son is not something I care about in a world where we elected a 34 count felon to be president.” 

Even with all these differing opinions, one remains true: this decision will have repercussions for years to come. Alexander Burns, the head of news at Politico, stated “It is a rich gift to those who want to blow up the justice system as we know it, and who claim the government is a self-dealing club for hypocritical elites.” 

Biden’s decision to pardon his son makes sense as a father, but as the President of the United States, this sets a dangerous precedent for future presidents to abuse their power. It is a slap in the face for supporters of Biden and a sour, contradictory note to end his presidency on.