On Sunday night, Congressional Republicans and conservative pundits erupted in anger following President Joe Biden’s announcement of a comprehensive pardon for his son, Hunter Biden—an action that derailed years of attempts to hold the first son accountable, who had become a prime target for many conservatives.
The reaction from MAGA supporters was swift as Biden revealed his unexpected decision just days prior to Hunter facing sentencing in distinct federal gun and tax matters.
“From beginning to end, Joe Biden has deceived about his family’s corrupt influence peddling schemes,” stated Rep. James Comer (R-KY), who chairs the House Oversight Committee investigating Hunter’s business activities, in a statement shared on X, previously known as Twitter. “He has not only falsely asserted that he never engaged with his son’s foreign business partners and that his son did nothing wrong, but he also misled when he claimed he would not pardon Hunter Biden.”
Comer referred to the allegations against Hunter as the “tip of the iceberg”—despite his extensive inquiry into the financial dealings of both the president and his son yielding no suggested charges against either Biden.
Other Republicans involved in the House’s investigations of the first son expressed similar outrage alongside Comer. “Democrats claimed there were no grounds for our impeachment inquiry,” Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) commented in a post on X. “If that’s true, why did Joe Biden just grant Hunter Biden a pardon for the very issues we investigated?”
Biden’s pardon specifically provided his son clemency for “all offenses charged or prosecuted (including any that have resulted in convictions) by Special Counsel David C. Weiss,” but it also included broad language granting leniency for offenses committed over an almost 11-year timeframe from January 2014 to December 2024.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), who also served on the Oversight Committee, argued that the pardon represented an “acknowledgment” of guilt from Hunter.
Greene also accused the Justice Department of attempting to prosecute Trump’s sons, Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, without providing any additional context for her claims.
Several commentators, including pollster Nate Silver and Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton, criticized Biden for reversing his stance on pardoning his son.
Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-TX), who served as physician to both Trump and former President Obama, echoed this sentiment while labeling Hunter as the president’s “CRACKHEAD SON” in a particularly furious post.
“Biden and his administration are DISGRACEFUL LIARS!!” Jackson exclaimed.
While campaigning for reelection, Biden had pledged that he would not issue a pardon for Hunter. In a June interview with ABC News, Biden confirmed he would honor the jury’s decision regarding Hunter’s imminent trial on gun charges and would refrain from seeking a pardon for his son.
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre also remarked that the president was not contemplating a pardon for his son, even as recently as a press conference on November 7.
“We’ve addressed that question numerous times,” Jean-Pierre stated to reporters. “Our position remains, which is no.”
His decision also faced backlash from segments of Biden’s own party.
“While I completely understand President @JoeBiden’s instinctual desire to assist his son through a pardon, I am disheartened that he has placed his family before the nation,” wrote Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, a libertarian Democrat known for occasionally breaking away from party norms. “This sets a dangerous precedent that could be exploited by future Presidents and unfortunately tarnish his legacy.”
“I respect President Biden, but I believe he made a mistake with this action,” Rep. Greg Stanton (D-AZ) commented on X. “This was not a politically-motivated prosecution. Hunter committed felonies and was found guilty by a jury of his peers.”
