Opinion: Donald Trump has no say in President Biden’s decision to pardon Hunter Biden

Disclaimer: Any opinions expressed in the following article belong solely to the author and do not reflect or represent Newsner. 

President Joe Biden shocked the world Sunday when he issued a “full and unconditional” pardon for his son Hunter Biden.

The announcement came as a surprise because Biden repeatedly insisted he would not use his presidential power to pardon his 54-year-old son or commute his sentence. However, that all changed over the Thanksgiving weekend.

“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 a statement.

Reaction to the president’s decision was quick, and not surprisingly president-elect Donald Trump had something to say about Biden’s landmark decision.

“Does the Pardon given by Joe to Hunter include the J-6 Hostages, who have now been imprisoned for years? Such an abuse and miscarriage of Justice!” Trump posted on Truth Social.

The only abuse and miscarriage of justice is the fact that a felon is set to take over the White House on January 20th.

While I cannot ignore the fact that Biden broke his promise not to intervene with his son’s court case, it is out of the question to overlook the hypocrisy of Trump commenting on one of Biden’s final acts while in office.

Hunter Biden has been convicted of serious crimes involving tax evasion and illegal gun possession, sparking heated debates across the country. However, have we forgotten the people former President Donald Trump pardoned during his time in office?

While Trump issued fewer pardons and commutations than most modern presidents, his choices raised plenty of eyebrows due to his personal connections.

During Trump’s final days in office, a report from The New York Times, stated former administration officials allegedly charged fees to lobby for pardons. This raised countless questions about fairness and ethics in the presidential pardon process.

Among those granted clemency were five individuals who were closely tied to Trump’s campaign and administration:  Paul Manafort, Roger Stone, Michael Flynn, Steve Bannon, and George Papadopoulos. Since each played a major role in his presidency, their pardons drew intense criticism.

One of the most notable moments came in 2020 when Trump granted clemency to Stone. It was the first time Trump granted clemency to someone directly connected to his campaign.

Rod Blagojevich, the former Illinois governor convicted of corruption; Michael Milken, a financier involved in securities fraud; Joe Arpaio, a former sheriff found guilty of criminal contempt; Dinesh D’Souza, a right-wing political commentator convicted of illegal campaign contributions; and Clint Lorance, a former Army officer convicted of war crimes related to killing two Afghan civilians.

President Biden’s decision to pardon Hunter may be the talk of today, tomorrow, and the next few weeks, but we can’t forget about the actions of the incoming president.

It’s a reminder that decisions to pardon are often as much about politics as they are about justice.

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