‘Failed Father’ or Protective Parent? GOP Reacts to Biden’s Controversial Hunter Pardon
By Jake Beardslee ·
December 1, 2024
President Joe Biden's decision to pardon his son, Hunter Biden, has erupted into a full-scale political controversy, drawing intense criticism from some Republican lawmakers, conservative media personalities, and political commentators. Mark Hoffman / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
The pardon, which covers potential federal tax and gun-related charges, prompted immediate condemnation from prominent Republican figures. Senator Josh Hawley delivered a particularly pointed criticism, asserting, "Never forget: while Hunter was selling access to 'the big guy,' Joe Biden's administration sent SWAT teams to the homes of prolifers; recruited spies in Catholic parishes; treated parents as domestic terrorists; and prosecuted Trump." He subsequently doubled down, declaring it "the most lawless administration in history." Nathan Papes/Springfield News-Leader / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Senator Chuck Grassley expressed personal disappointment, writing on social media platform X that he was "shocked" Biden chose to pardon his son, especially after Biden had repeatedly claimed he would not do so. "He said many many times he wouldn't & I believed him," Grassley wrote. "Shame on me." Jack Gruber-USA TODAY
Representative Jim Jordan of Ohio challenged the pardon's timing, questioning in a post on X, "Democrats said there was nothing to our impeachment inquiry. If that's the case, why did Joe Biden just issue Hunter Biden a pardon for the very things we were inquiring about?" Gage Skidmore / Wikimedia
The criticism quickly escalated beyond political commentary. Laura Loomer, a fringe-right Trump ally, launched a particularly inflammatory attack, writing, "JOE BIDEN IS A FAILED FATHER." Allen Eyestone / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Political commentator Ben Shapiro delivered a scathing critique, claiming Biden "has always been a venal liar who utilized his political power to pursue familial gain. So of course he's pardoning Hunter. He was always going to pardon Hunter. Hunter was the bagman." Junfu Han, Detroit Free Press
Jonathan Turley, a lawyer and Fox News contributor, raised legal concerns about the pardon's breadth. He warned that "Americans may have a more difficult time understanding how a president could repeatedly and adamantly deny that he would issue this pardon when he was running for reelection." Turley argued that Biden pardoned Hunter Biden for "ANY crimes that may have been committed," which is "precisely the type of sweeping immunity grant that the federal judge balked at in the hearing when the earlier sweetheart deal fell apart." Jack Gruber/USA TODAY / USA TODAY NETWORK
Not all commentary was uniformly critical. Andrew Yang offered a more measured take, suggesting in a post on X, "Joe Biden pardoning Hunter looks bad but most fathers would do the same thing under the circumstances." Gage Skidmore / Wikimedia
Ezra Klein, a New York Times opinion columnist, provided a sympathetic perspective. While acknowledging that "it's terrible politics and precedent," Klein argued that "the Trump team has been brutally clear they want revenge on their enemies, they are obsessed with Hunter in particular, and that would weigh like hell on me if I were his father and could protect him." Irn / Wikimedia
