President Biden’s Decision to Pardon Hunter Biden Sparks Criticism from Fellow Democrats
President Biden’s decision to pardon his son, Hunter, has sparked criticism from some of his fellow Democrats. The move was met with a tidal wave of criticism from Republicans, but a steady stream of Democrats also expressed unease.
Representative Greg Landsman, D-Ohio, stated, “As a father, I get it. But as someone who wants people to believe in public service again, it’s a setback.” Senator Michael Bennet, D-Colo., added, “President Biden’s decision put personal interest ahead of duty and further erodes Americans’ faith that the justice system is fair and equal for all.”
Representative Greg Stanton, D-Ariz., disagreed, saying, “I respect President Biden, but I think he got this one wrong. This wasn’t a politically-motivated prosecution. Hunter committed felonies, and was convicted by a jury of his peers.”
Jared Polis, the Democratic governor of Colorado, also criticized the decision, stating, “While as a father I certainly understand [Biden’s] natural desire to help his son by pardoning him, I am disappointed that he put his family ahead of the country. This is a bad precedent that could be abused by later Presidents and will sadly tarnish his reputation.”
However, some Democratic allies of the president defended the decision, including former Attorney General Eric Holder, who served with Biden in the Obama administration. Holder argued, “Look at the underlying facts and usual DOJ practice Governor. No [U.S. attorney] would have charged this case given the underlying facts. After a 5-year investigation, the facts as discovered only made that clear. Had his name been Joe Smith, the resolution would have been — fundamentally and more fairly — a declination. Pardon warranted.”
Representative Glenn Ivey, D-Md., expressed mixed views on the pardon, saying, “Even though I don’t think Hunter Biden would have been prosecuted under those circumstances, a pardon at this point will be used against, I think, Democrats who are pushing to defend the Department of Justice against politicizing it, which is certainly what President Trump plans to do.”