Despite his previous pledges not to, President Joe Biden pardoned his son, Hunter Biden, on Sunday night, less than two weeks from his sentencing date.
“I believe in the justice system, but as I have wrestled with this, I also believe raw politics has infected this process, and it led to a miscarriage of justice — and once I made this decision this weekend, there was no sense in delaying it further. I hope Americans will understand why a father and a President would come to this decision,” Biden said in his statement.
Hunter Biden was facing two upcoming sentencing dates, one on Dec. 12 for his conviction on federal gun charges and another on Dec. 16 for another criminal case in which he pleaded guilty to federal tax evasion.
According to a statement from the White House, Biden issued a “full and unconditional pardon” for any offenses his son may have “committed or may have committed or taken part in during the period from Jan. 1, 2014 through Dec. 1, 2024.”
In his statement on Sunday night, the president touched on several topics, including the struggle his son has had with addiction. He also claimed his political opponents were attacking him by going after Hunter.
“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 in his statement. “There has been an effort to break Hunter — who has been five and a half years sober, even in the face of unrelenting attacks and selective prosecution. In trying to break Hunter, they’ve tried to break me — and there’s no reason to believe it will stop here. Enough is enough.”
Following the pardon, Hunter Biden also released a statement in which he admitted and took “responsibility for my mistakes during the darkest days of my addiction — mistakes that have been exploited to publicly humiliate and shame me and my family for political sport.”
“Despite all of this, 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,” Hunter Biden said. “In the throes of addiction, I squandered many opportunities and advantages. In recovery we can be given the opportunity to make amends where possible and rebuild our lives if we never take for granted the mercy that we have been afforded. I will never take the clemency I have been given today for granted and will devote the life I have rebuilt to helping those who are still sick and suffering.”
President-elect Donald Trump has issued a statement on the pardon via his spokesman, Steven Cheung.
“The failed witch hunts against President Trump have proven that the Democrat-controlled DOJ and other radical prosecutors are guilty of weaponizing the justice system,” Cheung said. “That system of justice must be fixed, and due process must be restored for all Americans, which is exactly what President Trump will do as he returns to the White House with an overwhelming mandate from the American people.”
The move from Biden comes after months of vowing not to pardon his son. In June, he outright said, “I will not pardon him” after Hunter Biden was found guilty by a jury on three federal gun charges.
Other members of his administration have also reiterated his stance not to pardon his son, including White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, who said recently, “We’ve been asked that question multiple times. Our answer stands, which is ‘no.’”
Even First Lady Jill Biden said in June, “Joe and I both respect the judicial system, and that’s the bottom line.”