Democrats meet Hunter Biden pardon with groans and shrugs
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President Biden and his son, Hunter Biden, in Nantucket, Mass., on Nov. 29, 2024. Photo: Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images.
President Biden's pardon of his son Hunter on Sunday met with a mix of disapproval and understanding from Democrats in Congress.
Why it matters: Democrats have spent the last two years walking a cautious line of parrying GOP investigations into the president while largely avoiding defending his son as he faced criminal prosecution.
- Some Democrats even embraced Hunter's guilty verdict on felony gun charges as a counter to GOP claims of a politically biased judicial system.
What they're saying: "Not a banner moment but no shock," said one House Democrat, speaking on the condition of anonymity to share candid thoughts on the actions of their party's president.
- "I think the Biden family, including Hunter, have been through enough ... he paid the price," the lawmaker said, echoing Biden's argument that Hunter would not have been prosecuted if he wasn't the president's son.
- Another House Democrat pointed to President-elect Trump indicating in October he'd consider pardoning Hunter, telling Axios: "Trump said he would do it. So now one less thing to do on Day 1."
- "The president lost one son and would do anything he could for his remaining son. I'm in no way surprised as the father-son relationship is so strong," said Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.).
Zoom out: A handful of Democrats publicly criticized the move. "I am disappointed that he put his family ahead of the country," Colorado Gov. Polis said in a post on X.
- The Coloradan added: "This is a bad precedent that could be abused by later Presidents and will sadly tarnish his reputation."
- Rep. Greg Stanton (D-Ariz.) said on X: "I respect President Biden, but I think he got this one wrong. This wasn't a politically-motivated prosecution. Hunter committed felonies, and was convicted by a jury of his peers."
State of play: Biden said in a statement on Sunday he was granting his son a "full and unconditional pardon" for all acts between Jan. 1, 2014, and Dec. 1, 2024.
- "No reasonable person who looks at the facts of Hunter's cases can reach any other conclusion than Hunter was singled out only because he is my son — and that is wrong," Biden said.
- He had previously said he would not grant a pardon or commutation to Hunter — who, in addition to his gun conviction, had also pleaded guilty to felony tax charges.
The other side: Republicans raged at the pardon, with some arguing it was a vindication of their last two years of investigations into Biden and his family.
- "Biden crime family ... no longer trying to hide it either," said Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.), a member of the House Oversight Committee, which spearheaded the impeachment inquiry into Biden.
Between the lines: To some Democrats, the pardon was a bit of payback after what they see as Trump's flagrant use of pardons during his first term — and likely his second term as well — to bail out unworthy allies.
- One notable case: Charles Kushner, the father of Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, received a pardon from Trump in 2020 and on Saturday was nominated as Trump's ambassador to France.
- "At this point, we are sissies compared to Trump and everyone around him," remarked a third House Democrat who spoke anonymously.
Go deeper: Trump reacts to Biden pardoning son Hunter by raising Jan. 6 rioters' cases
Editor's note: This article has been updated with comment from Rep. Greg Stanton.
