In a political context already vibrant with tensions, the president’s decision Joe Biden to employ his power of presidential pardon for the son Hunter Biden stirred things up further. In a move that sparked national debate, Biden senior opted for clemency against his 54-year-old son, who was facing serious legal charges, including illegal possession of firearms and tax evasion, which could have resulted in decades of imprisonment.
Hunter Biden was charged in Delaware with illegally purchased a firearm in 2018hiding his drug addiction, and tax evasion (in California)v. The first crime could have cost him up to 25 years in prison, while the second up to 17 years. Sentencing on these charges was expected in the coming weeks.
Joe Biden, in a statement, shared his reflections on the decision, highlighting the suffering suffered by Hunter, victim of what he defines as a “selective and unjust persecution“. He expressed the desire that Americans could understand the motivation behind such a personal and presidential gesture. “Through him – he explained – they wanted to break me. Enough is enough.” “No reasonable person – added the President – looking at the facts of Hunter’s trials can come to any conclusion other than that he was targeted because he is my son, and that is wrong. There was an attempt to break that He has been sober for five and a half years even in the face of relentless attacks and selective prosecution.” Hunter, for his part, promised to work on behalf of those who struggle with addiction, acknowledging his mistakes and criticizing the political use of his personal stories against his family.
The president’s gesture did not escape criticism Donald Trumpwho on Truth, his social platform, joked about the decision, wondering why the Americans accused of the assault on Capitol Hill shouldn’t also enjoy the same treatment. Biden, moreover, had always promised that he would not intervene in his son’s judicial matters, trying to mark a difference in style with Trump. A difference that progressive newspapers had always underlined and which is now disappearing. “I believe in the justice system,” Joe said, “but as I reflected on this situation, I also felt that politics infected this process and led to a miscarriage of justice.”
Biden’s controversial choice has raised doubts and criticism from both the Republican and Democratic fronts. James Comera Republican representative, accused the president of lying (he had assured, in fact, that he would not interfere), while Jared PolisDemocratic governor of Colorado, expressed regret for Biden’s choice to prioritize family ties over national interests, fearing that it could set a dangerous precedent.
This grant of pardon raises critical questions about the integrity of American justice and the tensions between the president’s personal and public responsibilities. In a period of marked political polarization, Biden’s action fuels the debate over the use of presidential power and the consequences for his political legacy and public perception of the impartiality of justice. If Sleepy Joe granted pardon to his son, assuming a “political persecution” still to be demonstrated, why shouldn’t Trump do otherwise, for friends and donors, or by granting himself a pardon once he comes to power?