The decision, which was first reported by NBC News, is a reversal for the president, who repeatedly said he would not use his authority to pardon his son or commute his sentence.

Summary

President Joe Biden pardoned his son Hunter Biden, reversing his prior stance against using executive clemency.

The pardon covers Hunter’s federal gun conviction and tax evasion guilty plea, sparking political controversy.

Biden cited political attacks and a “miscarriage of justice” as reasons for his decision, emphasizing his son’s recovery from addiction and the targeting of his family.

Critics argue the move undermines the judicial process, while supporters view it as within Biden’s constitutional powers.

This decision shields Hunter from potential prison time as Biden nears the end of his presidency.

  • bradd@lemmy.worldEnglish
    23·
    24 days ago

    That’s funny because people say, despite the threats, he didn’t actually imprison anyone. Hillary comes to mind but I wasn’t paying attention enough to know who else he said should he locked up.

    • FordBeeblebrox@lemmy.world
      101·
      24 days ago

      Because there were no actual prosecutable actions to convict anyone for, the republicans were just assembling one “special investigation” after another in an effort to waste everyone’s time. Come to think of it, most of the things conservatives scream about are akin to a child’s tantrum that you just try to mitigate until they’re quiet enough to sit down and get some work done…except we keep feeding them sugar and cartoons instead of putting their childish plantation asses to bed.

      • bradd@lemmy.worldEnglish
        31·
        24 days ago

        Good point so there were prosecutable actions to convict in Hunter’s case and he was pardoned by family. I guess that’s reasonable.

      • pyro@discuss.onlineEnglish
        38·
        24 days ago

        I’m no Trump supporter by any stretch of the imagination, but during his initial presidency, it felt like both sides were throwing shit at the wall to see what stuck. Endless investigations and political tantrums that ultimately led nowhere and set the stage for the chaotic timeline we’re living in now.

        • btaf45@lemmy.world
          122·
          24 days ago

          That was no “both sides” thing. The crimes that Treason Trump is guilty of are very serious. Our democracy has been seriously hurt by him not getting punished, it is just something that is not immediately obvious, like a rotted out board. Nothing that Hunter Biden did remotely rises to that level.

          • pyro@discuss.onlineEnglish
            12·
            23 days ago

            Trump’s actions have been shady and potentially illegal, but calling them “treason” is a stretch. Critics seemed determined to paint him as a villain early on, before any lines were even crossed. Yes, he withheld documents, just as Clinton deleted emails, and both cases left unanswered questions about what might have been compromised. As for Hunter Biden, he’s not a public official, but the scope of his pardon raises fair questions about the past decade.

            January 6 is no different - blaming the insurrection entirely on Trump is oversimplified. He questioned the election, but nowhere did he explicitly tell people to storm the Capitol. The idea that an uncoordinated mob could even overthrow the government is absurd. What were they going to do; occupy the Capitol and declare victory? This exaggerated narrative is politically convenient but ultimately baseless.

            Like I said, I’m not a Trump supporter and haven’t voted for him in any of his campaigns, but these repetitive talking points have been dragged out and beaten to death, accomplishing nothing while distracting from real issues - especially with him set to return to office in just over a month.

            • btaf45@lemmy.world
              2·
              21 days ago

              Critics seemed determined to paint him as a villain early on, before any lines were even crossed.

              WTF Dude Treason Trump blatently crossed so many lines. Trying to overturn the will of the voters IS LITERALLY THE MOST UNAMERICAN THING ANY POLICITIAN CAN EVER DO.

              He questioned the election,

              He did way more than that. He tried to bully people into overturning the will of the voters. Every single day from the election day in 2020 to Jan 6.

              Here are 164 pages of details about those crimes.

              https://d3i6fh83elv35t.cloudfront.net/static/2024/10/gov.uscourts.dcd_.258148.252.0.pdf