The White House defended President Biden’s declaration that “no one is above the law” after he pardoned his son Hunter Biden on Sunday evening. The pardon came after years of legal issues surrounding two criminal cases, including a gun case and a tax case.
When asked if Biden still believes “no one is above the law” after pardoning his son, a White House official replied, “Yes. As he said in his statement, he has deep respect for our justice system. And as a wide range of legal experts have pointed out, this pardon is indisputably within his authority and warranted by the facts of the case.”
The pardon has been met with criticism from conservatives and others, who have resurrected a post from May where Biden said “No one is above the law.” Republicans have quipped that the rule of law applies to all Americans, “Unless your last name is Biden.”
Hunter Biden was found guilty of lying about his drug use when purchasing a firearm in 2018 and was facing another trial regarding the failure to pay at least $1.4 million in taxes. He entered a surprise guilty plea in September.
President Biden had previously pledged not to pardon his son, but changed his mind after announcing the pardon. He wrote in his statement that the prosecution of his son was politically motivated and that he believes in the justice system, but also believes that raw politics has infected the process and led to a miscarriage of justice.
Some attorneys have come to Biden’s defense over the pardon, including Obama-era Attorney General Eric Holder. However, others have criticized the move, with some lawmakers calling it a “coverup” and a “disgraceful” example of the Biden family playing by different rules than everyone else.
