On Sunday night, a Fox News contributor incorrectly presented breaking news regarding President Joe Biden’s intention to pardon his son, Hunter, just days ahead of his federal sentencing for gun and tax offenses.
Charlie Hurt was assigned to report the story shortly after it emerged, but he mistakenly referred to Biden as President-elect Donald Trump, leading his co-hosts to step in and clarify the situation.
“NBC News is reporting that President Trump has decided he will pardon his son Hunter,” Hurt stated as a “Fox News Alert” graphic appeared on screen.
“This comes ahead of… what did I just say?” Hurt continued, glancing over at his co-hosts for assistance.
“You mentioned President Trump, but it’s actually Biden,” comedian Tom Shillue responded.
“Close enough,” Fox anchor Julie Banderas joked.
“As you pointed out, he is still in office,” Shillue remarked, grinning at the camera.
The discussion on Fox’s The Big Weekend Show then shifted to the notion that “everyone” anticipated this move, despite the president’s repeated claims of having no intention to grant a pardon for his son.
In a statement concerning the pardon, President Biden asserted that his son was “treated differently” than other defendants facing comparable charges—and blamed the “unjust” treatment on his Republican adversaries in Congress.
“Since my first day in office, I have maintained that I would not interfere with the Justice Department’s decision-making, and I have upheld that commitment even as I watched my son undergo selective and unfair prosecution,” Biden wrote.
“No reasonable person examining the facts of Hunter’s cases can arrive at any conclusion other than he was targeted solely because he is my son – and that is unjust,” he continued.
The first son was initially slated for sentencing on gun-related charges on December 12—a verdict that could result in a sentence of up to 25 years in prison. Additionally, a second sentencing phase regarding tax evasion charges in California was set for the following Monday, which could carry an extra maximum of 17 years.
