On Sunday, President Joe Biden pardoned his son, Hunter Biden. Pardoning individuals is a historically controversial power of the president, and this case highlights the contradictory and complex implications it has, especially as family is involved.
After Hunter Biden was convicted of three felony charges in June for purchasing a gun while using illegal substances and nine charges for tax evasion in September, Joe Biden relentlessly promised to not pardon his son. In fact, Al Jazeera reported, “White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said at least seven times – over more than a year – that Biden would not pardon his son.”
According to the New York Times, former President Bill Clinton said, “I wish he hadn’t said he wasn’t going to do it. It does weaken his case.” His rhetoric on the matter was strong, promising and believable. However, his actions Sunday proved to be completely contradictory. Hunter Biden now has unconditional forgiveness for any crimes he committed from Jan. 1 to Dec. 1 according to CBS News.
This seemingly extreme power raises several questions surrounding constitutionality. Article II, Section 2 of the Constitution says that any president has the power to "grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offences against the United States, except in Cases of Impeachment."
Although many deem it unconstitutional despite its inclusion in the document, pardoning can be a clear abuse of power. Recent pardons, such as this case, have remained controversial while some have been celebrated during clear cases of injustice. And the lines between professional opinion and personal empathy are far too blurry to see injustice in this case.
Amid President-elect Donald Trump’s immunity ruling, essentially pardoning him from criminal offenses committed while he was in office, Joe Biden expressed rightful distaste for the decision. On X, he said, “No one is above the law.” Here, Joe Biden highlighted his professional opinion of holding those with big names accountable as he notions that nobody is above the law. However, as the Supreme Court made the immunity ruling, it became obvious that the justice systems in the U.S. are invaded with bias.
The Associated Press reported that White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre spoke on Monday after the surprise pardoning. “He believes in the justice system, but he also believes that politics infected the process and led to a miscarriage of justice,” Jean-Pierre said.
This highlights the blurred lines as Joe Biden essentially put his son above the law following his post; however, there is a chance the courts were invaded with bias in the same way they were with Trump’s immunity ruling.
Joined only by Clinton and Trump in pardoning family members, Joe Biden is the first with the opportunity to pardon his child. In a statement from the White House, Joe Biden said, “I hope Americans will understand why a father and a President would come to this decision.” Personal opinions, especially in the case of a president’s child, are difficult to balance with professional opinion – it’s safe to say that most parents would do the same if given the power.
Joe Biden’s decision to pardon his son highlights complexities and contradictories embedded in powerful roles. Hunter Biden has been a talking point across the aisle, but the central focus must be on bias in the courts, abuses of power and overall hypocrisy.
Layne Rey is a junior studying journalism at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnist do not reflect those of The Post. What are your thoughts? Let Layne know by tweeting her @laynerey12.
