The decision, which was first reported by NBC News, is a reversal for the president, who repeatedly said he would not use his authority to pardon his son or commute his sentence.

Summary

President Joe Biden pardoned his son Hunter Biden, reversing his prior stance against using executive clemency.

The pardon covers Hunter’s federal gun conviction and tax evasion guilty plea, sparking political controversy.

Biden cited political attacks and a “miscarriage of justice” as reasons for his decision, emphasizing his son’s recovery from addiction and the targeting of his family.

Critics argue the move undermines the judicial process, while supporters view it as within Biden’s constitutional powers.

This decision shields Hunter from potential prison time as Biden nears the end of his presidency.

  • slickgoat@lemmy.world
    3115·
    21 days ago

    Trump’s entire stchick is gaming every system to manipulate things in his favour. The Dems always take the higher ground and always get pounded. Every single time - Gore in 2000, particularly.

    If Biden ‘pardons’ his son to ameliorate Hunter’s political persecution, then it’s a step in the right direction to push back. Tame as it is, the Dems better learn to fight fire with napalm before all is lost.

    • Saleh@feddit.org
      2214·
      21 days ago

      “Political persecution”. LMFAO He ran around with guns while being high and evaded taxes. Bidens claim that his son was “singled out” only applies in the logic of rich white people, who expect the system to protect them from the law.

      • ubergeek@lemmy.todayEnglish
        124·
        21 days ago

        I know tons of users of cannabis (it’s legal here) and are gun owners. Nothing wrong with that.

        You can be drunk af, and go hunting, and that’s legal.

        So yeah, it’s a BS charge.

        Tax evasion? Come on. That’s a trumped up charge, seeing as we elected a tax evading rapist as POTUS.

        • Saleh@feddit.org
          65·
          21 days ago

          Alcoholics shouldn’t be allowed near firearms either. And in the case of Hunter Biden we are talking about crack cocaine. I hope we can agree that crack addicts have a very different psychology from weed smokers. When it comes to drugs that are particularly problematic with firearms the list is lead by Meth, Crack and Alcohol. And Biden also was an alcoholic at the time.

          • ubergeek@lemmy.todayEnglish
            64·
            21 days ago

            Per the law, though, cannabis is far more dangerous than crack or non-crack cocaine.

            And, no, i don’t think cocaine users are subhuman, undeserving of the same civil rights everyone else has.

            And if they are addicted, we should give them the needed health care to solve that.

            • Saleh@feddit.org
              52·
              21 days ago

              The US Drug sheduling is absurd.

              People not being allowed to own and carry guns while being addicted to drugs doesn’t make them “subhuman”. And what the heck is wrong with Americans defining who is a human and who isn’t based on them having guns?

              Also i fail to see how owning guns is in any way relevant to access to healthcare. Should access to healthcare be exclusive to gun owners?

              The right to own guns should be dependent on having the full mental capacity and character to handle them responsibly. One of the effects of cocaine and even more so with crack cocaine is a boost to the own ego and removal of empathy towards others. People under the influence of cocaine are known to be more reckless and more violent than sober. Same with alcohol lowering peoples inhibitions and making them more violent and impulsive. These drugs shouldn’t be mixed with guns ever and it is insane to now defend this in order to defend Hunter Biden, just because he is a Biden.

              • ubergeek@lemmy.todayEnglish
                61·
                21 days ago

                The human right to keep and bear arms is in our constitution

                So, yes, abridging a right, to a class of people, is saying they are subhuman, and not deserving of the full spectrum of rights there for all humans.

                • Cleggory@lemmy.world
                  13·
                  21 days ago

                  Yeah mental states should be irrelevant to the ability to tote guns, the most basic of human rights.

                  Even infant children deserve human rights, give kids guns too!

                  • ubergeek@lemmy.todayEnglish
                    21·
                    21 days ago

                    Who judges these “mental states”? The state? So, like… in the 1980’s, gay people couldn’t own guns? Remember, it too, was a “mental disease”…

    • DarkFuture@lemmy.worldEnglish
      3·
      21 days ago

      Yep.

      A few weeks ago we got the final notice that playing nice simply does not work in America. Americans want corruption. They voted for it.

      In a system like that you have to play as dirty as your opponent or you will lose.

      Time for Dems to take the low road and start winning. That’s how it’s done in America.

    • Slueth@lemmyusa.com
      57·
      21 days ago

      Nope no nopity nope. People who genuinely have good intentions and actually spark meaningful change will always win in the public’s eye.

      Stopping down to the level of the “bad guys” will only make you a “bad guy”. This “us vs them” mentality some of you guys is to the detriment of a functioning government.

      I just have to add “They do bad things, so we’re justified to do bad things as well” is such a bad argument.

    • GHiLA@sh.itjust.works
      79·
      21 days ago

      This is selfish 1% privileged horseshit. Fuck Biden. Fuck his son. Fuck this selfish, narcissistic act that ignores all of us, you know, us fucks who got him elected.

      He is now as much an enemy of mine as Trump is. Fuck him.