The decision spares Hunter a possible prison sentence and reverses Biden's promises not to use the powers of the presidency for the benefit of his family members.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden pardoned his son, Hunter, on Sunday night, sparing the younger Biden a possible prison sentence for federal felony gun and tax convictions and reversing his past promises not to use the extraordinary powers of the presidency for the benefit of his family.

The Democratic president had previously said he would not pardon his son or commute his sentence after convictions in the two cases in Delaware and California. The move comes weeks before Hunter Biden was set to receive his punishment after his trial conviction in the gun case and guilty plea on tax charges, and less than two months before President-elect Donald Trump is set to return to the White House.

Biden, who time and again pledged to Americans that he would restore norms and respect for the rule of law after Trump’s first term in office, ultimately used his position to help his son, breaking his public pledge to Americans that he would do no such thing.

  • freagle@lemmygrad.mlEnglish
    0·
    23 days ago

    I don’t think you understand the critique. The Supreme Court literally gave the office of the president immunity for crimes committed in execution of the duty of the office. Biden promised to not use that new power because he was deeply principled. That means that even though he and the entire DNC are operating on rhetoric that says DJT is literally an enemy of democracy and freedom and America, they won’t do anything about it even though he’s a convicted felon. No action whatsoever.

    But he will break his own promises to pardon his son. So he’s really not principled.

    So if he’s not that principled, and he has the power to stop the fascism, but he doesn’t, and he has the power to stop putting infants in solitary, but he doesn’t, and he has the power to stop putting asylum seekers in solitary, but he doesn’t, and he has the power to stop sending military surplus to cops, but he doesn’t, and so so so many other things…

    If it’s not his principles, then what is it? It must be desire. Either he desires expediency over saving the country and ending torture, or he desires what the right is bringing and he desires torture.

    There is no actual way to have the power to stop these things, to say you’re too principled to do anything about it, and then violate those principles for personal gain a few months later without the conclusion being that you never wanted the good things in the first place you just campaigned on lies and you’re in support of the outcomes.