President Biden pardons his son Hunter Biden
President Biden pardons his son Hunter Biden
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.
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I’ve always found it absurd that presidents possess the authority to grant pardons. It trivializes our judicial system and undermines its integrity. This power should not be vested in the presidency.
It's supposed to be a check on the judicial. Are you suggesting it should be vested elsewhere or just not at all? I wouldn't remove any checks on this court personally
Honestly, I think it's more of a practical matter. Even if they didn't have explicit pardon power, whoever's in charge of the executive has effective pardon powers by simply denying to carry out the orders of the court (see Jackson's behavior which lead to the trail of tears).
At least by making it official it's a lot more clear what's going on, and maybe they had hoped this would lead to electoral consequences for those who abused it?