Donald Trump had a brutal response to Joe Biden pardoning his son, Hunter.
In the wake of President Joe Biden pardoning his son Hunter on Sunday night, Donald Trump and his team have renewed calls for a major overhaul of what they call the “Democrat-controlled” Department of Justice. This announcement came just over an hour after Biden issued the controversial pardon.
“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 45th president, who reclaimed the White House last month, had previously hinted at the possibility of granting pardons to more than 1,500 individuals charged or convicted in connection with the January 6 Capitol riot.
These cases come from the mob’s attempt to stop Congress’s certification of Biden’s 2020 election victory. While Trump’s transition team released a statement criticizing the Justice Department, it did not directly reference Biden or Hunter.
“The failed witch hunts against President Trump have proven that the Democrat-controlled DOJ and other radical prosecutors are guilty of weaponizing the justice system,” Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung stated. “That system of justice must be fixed, and due process must be restored for all Americans, which is exactly what President Trump will do as he returns to the White House with an overwhelming mandate from the American people.”
The pardon shields Hunter Biden, 54, from consequences in two high-profile federal cases.
He had been slated for sentencing this month on charges of tax evasion and illegal gun possession. In September, Hunter pleaded guilty to nine tax-related offenses after failing to pay $1.4 million in taxes and was convicted in June of possessing a firearm while addicted to crack cocaine.
Biden, 82, defended his decision, arguing on Sunday that his son had been “selectively, and unfairly, prosecuted.” The pardon extends to any offenses Hunter committed between January 1, 2014, and December 1, 2024. This decision contradicted Biden’s earlier statements, including his remarks during the G7 summit in June, where he assured reporters, “I said I’d abide by the jury decision. I will do that and I will not pardon him.”
In his Sunday night statement, Biden said the relentless scrutiny and prosecution of his son had taken a personal toll. “There has been an effort to break Hunter – who has been five and a half years sober, even in the face of unrelenting attacks and selective prosecution. In trying to break Hunter, they’ve tried to break me – and there’s no reason to believe it will stop here. Enough is enough.”
The move prompted sharp criticism from Republicans. Senator Chuck Grassley expressed disbelief at the reversal, writing on X: “I’m shocked Pres Biden pardoned his son Hunter bc he said many many times he wouldn’t & I believed him. Shame on me.”
House Republicans, who have spearheaded an impeachment inquiry into Biden over his alleged involvement in Hunter’s business dealings, condemned the pardon as evidence of corruption.
Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer said in a statement: “Joe Biden has lied from start to finish about his family’s corrupt influence-peddling activities. Not only has he falsely claimed that he never met with his son’s foreign business associates and that his son did nothing wrong, but he also lied when he said he would not pardon Hunter Biden.”
Comer further alleged that the charges Hunter faced only scratched the surface of the corruption surrounding the Biden family. “The charges Hunter faced were just the tip of the iceberg in the blatant corruption that President Biden and the Biden Crime Family have lied about to the American people. It’s unfortunate that, rather than come clean about their decades of wrongdoing, President Biden and his family continue to do everything they can to avoid accountability.”
