Hunter Biden’s pardon: ‘It’s an evacuation of the moral high ground’
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As President Joe Biden pardons his son to spare him prison, The News Agents' ask what this means about fairness and faith in America's justice system.
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In brief:
- President Biden has signed a full and unconditional pardon for his son Hunter Biden, who was facing potential prosecution for lying about drug use on a gun purchase form and federal tax fraud.
- Biden claims Hunter was "singled out" because he is the president's son and argues that the justice system has been "infected" by politics.
- The pardon will “undermine people's faith in justice and the rule of law in America”, The News Agents say.
What’s the story?
“Today, I signed a pardon for my son Hunter.”
That was the start of an unexpected statement given by President Biden on Sunday, 1 December.
Next month will be Joe Biden’s last in the White House, and he’s used the time he has left to grant a full and unconditional pardon to his son, Hunter Biden.
Hunter was found guilty of three charges earlier this year for lying about his drug use on a form whilst buying a handgun. He had also pleaded guilty to nine counts of federal tax fraud.
He was due to be sentenced later this month and could have faced up to 25 years in prison.
The move to pardon his son is “a remarkable 180 turn from him,” Jon Sopel says on today’s episode of The News Agents.
Until now, Joe Biden had stated repeatedly that he would not issue a pardon, with press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre stating this as recently as September this year.
"From the day I took office, I said I would not interfere with the Justice Department’s decision-making, and I kept my word even as I have watched my son being selectively, and unfairly, prosecuted," said Biden of his u-turn.
“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.”
He added he believes in the US justice system, but claims it has been "infected" by politics.
Biden's action was criticised by Donald Trump, who called it a "miscarriage of justice". He suggested that people jailed for their involvement in the 6 January Capitol riots which resulted in the death of five people, and left 174 police officers injured, should also be pardoned.
Why has Biden taken such a drastic measure? And what does it say about his belief in the justice system?
The News Agents’ take
“I'm sure he's going to be absolutely kicked in the face for this,” Emily Maitlis says on The News Agents.
Jon agrees that it’s not a good look for President Biden, adding that “the charges of hypocrisy are going to ring loud”.
Biden would have known this when he made the momentous decision to pardon his son, but he decided to take “an evacuation of the moral high ground,” as Jon calls it, anyway.
Most likely because Donald Trump has made no secret of his plan to go after his political enemies when he takes office - of which Hunter Biden is arguably one.
Biden, therefore, appears to be taking no chances.
“The pardon has been drawn up in such a way that it is not just for these two offenses for which he was awaiting prosecution,” Jon explains, “it is for anything he may have done in the past 10 years”.
But what will the rest of America make of this special treatment?
“It's like the black and gold dress,” Emily says.
“If you are from the Maga side of things, you say, ‘oh, this just proves everything that we've always thought’
“If you are on the Democrat side, you'll say there is a maniac coming into the White House… and you have got to decide, as both a president and a father, whether you're going to let your son enter into a judicial system which is run by people you fundamentally do not trust with the rule of law.”
Although the pardon is for one person, what the pardon represents, could therefore have much wider ramifications for America.
“If Biden believed in the fairness of the rule of law, I don't think he would have done this,” Emily says, admitting she can’t believe she’s saying such a thing.
And if Biden doesn’t believe in the rule of law, why should other Americans?
“It is a momentous thing that he has done,” Jon says, “which I just think further undermines people's faith in justice and the rule of law in America”.
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