(Julianna Frieman, Headline USA) Democrats did not hesitate to prove their ongoing fixation on President-elect Donald Trump in reactions to President Joe Biden pardoning his son, Hunter Biden, on Sunday.
Biden went back on his promise not to commute his son’s impending sentence by issuing a blanket pardon spanning Jan. 2014 through Dec. 2024.
The Democrat president channeled Trump’s rhetoric in his statement by saying his own Department of Justice “unfairly” targeted Hunter Biden due to their familial relationship.
Former Biden White House Director of Message Planning Meghan Hays suggested Monday that Trump’s nomination of disruptive Cabinet picks, most recently Kash Patel as FBI director on Saturday, could have changed his mind.
.@meghan_hays9 on why @POTUS pardoned his son, Hunter, now: "I think that some of these nominations that Trump has been putting forward and leaving this in the hands of other folks, I think is worrisome to the president … He, again, does not want to lose another son."@kasie,… pic.twitter.com/G1KVqvVsW1
— CNN This Morning with Kasie Hunt (@CNNThisMorning) December 2, 2024
“I do think with some of the nominations that Trump has put it, it probably caused a little bit of worry for him,” Hayes told CNN panelists. “But also, I think people have to remember, the president’s lost two children already. And he does not need to lose another one.”
House Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., and The View co-host Ana Navarro-Cárdenas signaled support for Biden’s pardon by pointing out that Trump was convicted of 34 felony charges by a Manhattan jury—politicized charges Trump will not be sentenced for as the case stalled out.
If you defended the 34x felon, who committed sexual assault, stole national security documents, and tried running a coup on his country…you can sit out the Hunter Biden pardon discussion.
— Rep. Eric Swalwell (@RepSwalwell) December 2, 2024
Good for @JoeBiden. 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
America elected a convicted felon.
That convicted felon pardoned his son-in-law’s father and appointed him Ambassador to France. If you support that, I don’t want to hear jack-shit about Biden pardoning his son. pic.twitter.com/NpcYGQjDWR— Ana Navarro-Cárdenas (@ananavarro) December 2, 2024
John Bolton, former National Security Adviser to Trump, cried out Monday that Biden’s pardon will enable Trump to pardon those unfairly prosecuted over the incident on Jan. 6, 2021.
Biden is doing exactly the wrong thing by pardoning Hunter. This will now give Trump the license to pardon all of his supporters including those from Jan 6th.
— John Bolton (@AmbJohnBolton) December 2, 2024
“Biden is doing exactly the wrong thing by pardoning Hunter,” Bolton wrote on X. “This will now give Trump the license to pardon all of his supporters including those from Jan 6th.”
Trump evoked potential Jan. 6 pardons in his own reaction late Sunday.
“Does the Pardon given by Joe to Hunter include the J-6 Hostages, who have now been imprisoned for years?” Trump wrote. “Such an abuse and miscarriage of Justice!”
Gov. Jared Polis, D-Colo., said Biden ruined his legacy by putting “his family ahead of the country.”
While as a father I certainly understand President @JoeBiden’s natural desire to help his son by pardoning him, I am disappointed that he put his family ahead of the country. This is a bad precedent that could be abused by later Presidents and will sadly tarnish his reputation.…
— Jared Polis (@jaredpolis) December 2, 2024
“This is a bad precedent that could be abused by later Presidents and will sadly tarnish his reputation,” the Colorado governor wrote in part. “When you become President, your role is Pater familias of the nation. Hunter brought the legal trouble he faced on himself, and one can sympathize with his struggles while also acknowledging that no one is above the law, not a President and not a President’s son.”
Pollster Nate Silver blasted Biden for “kicking salt in the wound” of Trump’s win of a second term.
The White House consistently lied about this. Biden's stubborn insistence on running for reelection was perhaps the singular most important factor in Trump 2.0, and now he's kicking salt in the wound of the party brand he helped to destroy.https://t.co/7sQi2uNNLy https://t.co/lAwX6QNcqa
— Nate Silver (@NateSilver538) December 2, 2024
“The White House consistently lied about this,” Silver wrote. “Biden’s stubborn insistence on running for reelection was perhaps the singular most important factor in Trump 2.0, and now he’s kicking salt in the wound of the party brand he helped to destroy.”
Julianna Frieman is a freelance writer published by the Daily Caller, Headline USA, The Federalist, and The American Spectator. Follow her on Twitter at @JuliannaFrieman.
