President Biden pardons his son Hunter Biden

Always have been.

"I have no principles"

I love when people use Trump as a litmus test for good behavior and how openly hypocrisy is displayed like a badge of honor.

The Supreme Court undermined the judicial system.

I really appreciate that you took the time to bold it, made me chuckle 😁 I feel you though 💙

Why did Biden say he had full faith in the judicial process this entire year until now then?

This is yet another example of Biden just not doing things sufficiently enough. He must issue a preemptive umbrella pardon for himself, as Trump's DOJ, FBI, and CIA will go after him

History has now shown us that there was evidently no one on the ballot who wasnt a "corruption and fuck it politics" candidate.

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?

It would be cool if he went out in a blaze of glory that wasn't self serving. Like legalizing weed, arming Ukraine, and just generally trying to fuck shit up for Trump before he gets in.

I don't think it's so much YOLO as recognizing that Hunter would be a target of Trump once he assumes office.

It seems to me to be a form of self defense. People do things that they otherwise wouldn't do when the alternative is bad enough.

We don’t care about this because Hunter was the target of a witch hunt.

He was convicted in court by a jury of his peers same as every other American under charges would see. He wasnt convicted in some political "witch hunt" process in congress, nor was he convicted by an activist judge. The congressional investigation went nowhere and was shut down. Hunters convictions carried a sentence of 15 to 21 months. If his conviction is unfair and needs to be resisted then the entire system of justice in america is unfair.

The actual “crimes” weren’t impactful at all.

thats not your call to make. This is just another case of hard justice being for the little people only, and you seem to be cheering that on. How low can you go, man. Biden spent a lifetime banging tables pretending to be a tough on crime guy. You seem to have forgotten all of that.

First, did Bidden just notice that his son was a target of a "witch hunt" after the election? Or was he just lying before?

And second, Bidden literally controlled the DOJ for 4 years. It was his call whether to go after other corrupt politicians or not.

Im uninformed so I know nothing of Hunter's supposed crimes. Can I get a quick rundown?

I don't know anything about the tax evasion conviction. If it was serious, then sure, fuck him.

If you can't even be bothered to read an article about it why should any weight be given to your opinion. The tax fraud was 1.4 million dollars and he actively lied on his returns to avoid payment. He effectively stole over a million dollars, fuck him and all tax cheats.

And Hunter didn’t even touch politics in the slightest.

From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hunter_Biden :

"Biden was a founding board member of BHR Partners, a Chinese investment company, in 2013, and later served on the board of Burisma Holdings, one of the largest private natural gas producers in Ukraine, from 2014 until his term expired in April 2019. He has worked as a lobbyist and legal representative for lobbying firms, a hedge fund principal, and a venture capital and private equity fund investor. "

"Biden was hired to help Burisma with requesting assistance from the U.S government to expand its business and corporate governance best practices,"

No shit, he had 4 years to do these

The gun crime is bullshit. That law isn't enforced on anyone. It's also probably unconstitutional if you follow the conservative understanding of that amendment (which is complete bullshit, but that's beside the point).

Tax evasion, sure. That maybe shouldn't be pardoned but also it's only an issue because he's the president's son. I don't dismiss this, but also I recognize that it's mostly bullshit Republicans drummed up because they couldn't get anything on Biden.

I will point out to every conservative who defends Trump who says anything about this though. Trump is literally a convicted felon, and multiple cases are being dismissed because he was elected. If they think Hunter shouldn't get off free, then they better have some strong reasons Trump should.

You do have to remember that most of us didn't give a fuck about this supposed crime to begin with. I mean who Among Us hasn't lied to the government about our drug history?

Also should mention that it's clearly unconstitutional by the way.

Gun charge "while using illegal drugs".

Tax fraud.

c'mon now, fuck all that shit. 100% political, "witch hunt", and all that. I would have thought less of Joe had he not done this.

Um no?

Don't tell me if you knew the threat to democracy who had a personal vendetta against you and your child was following you in office and has threatened and made blind accusations multiple times that you would NOT pardon them. Biden did the right thing as a parent and a mildly objectionable thing on a moral standpoint politically which... just fuck off with that. I don't wanna hear about morality from the party that constantly defends rapist and child abusers

Is not a race to bottom. It is just the most clear indication that the American system of governance has massive flaws and, as a set of institutions, the system has no way to protect itself from abuse.

I and almost certainly evey other non-psycho father would have done the same.

Reading through these comments and seeing people excuse this because trump is worse validates the race-to-the-bottom strategy that republicans and democrats cooperate on.

No, you don't seem to understand. The race to the bottom strategy was a Republican thing. But now that we know that's how you win in America, some of us are supporting that strategy for Democrats as well.

Gotta adapt to your environment to succeed.

It is wild how they willing to defend their side no matter what. This is absolute abuse of power regardless of detail. Again, it is understandable and expected, but still abuse of power.

Agreed. Fuck 'em. I'd have been bothered if the system held accountable the horrible people that are about to come to power. At this point Hunter's crimes look like a joke on this background.

Unfortunately, what would that mean in a few months? Trump would have ALL shreds or pretence and standards removed. He'd pull an iraq Parliament, and arrest congresspersons right on the floor. Look up "Saddam purge".

Now, I'm not saying it won't happen anyway, but Biden doing it now normalizes it then. The degree to which we give up systemic stability now, is permanent and relevant then. We would hope the sheer novelty / abnormality of trump acting so impulsively would trigger revolt, even from his "base". That, or we get man-in-thehighcastle-ed and america is broken up as a result.

None of that is good for global welfare.

100%

I'm not super shocked to see people defending this because a chunk of people will always play defense. I'm shocked to see how many are defending this. Nobody should give a shit about Hunter Biden. The attention brought onto him was certainly politically motivated but the trial itself was not. He did the crimes and he should be ready for the consequences. The guy is clearly a grifter.

I don't care if Democrats stoop to the level of Republicans when it is actually defending our rights. When it is for blatant nepotism though? Fuck that with a sharp stick.

Funnily enough, the local satire paper here ran a story right before Thanksgiving with the headline "Turkey Pardoned by President Looks an Awful Lot Like Hunter Biden" with a picture of Hunter in a turkey suit. I think I would actually be more supportive if that had actually happened.

No, before anyone says it, it is not smart to stoop to their level

While it's a bit disappointing, I understand that one perspective is that it is a defensive move. I don't think it is unreasonable to assume that Trump is going to abuse his power and weaponize the Justice Dept to extract everything he can, politically, from the resulting show.

I don't know whether or not Biden would have done the exact same thing if it was a more reasonable Republican administration coming in. That would be far more telling. It might have been that Biden was making a show of it with the assumption that he'd be overseeing and influencing it all as president and if that weren't the case he'd be abusing his authority to spare his son.

Yes, it's frustrating because of the message it send but frankly, I don't think it'll cause much trouble. Everyone who'd see it as an admission of the guilt of the "Biden crime family" wasn't going to change their mind, even if Hunter was publicly drawn and quartered by the Biden administration. Those folks would immediately move the goal post - "Yeah, whatever, but what about..." or just insist Hunter's death was fake and it was all sham.

This is a black stain on Biden’s presidential legacy.

Hahahahaha

Republicans in Congress are never going to want to limit excessive executive power if it’s only ever used in service of things they like.

It might come as a shock, but the president actually tends to pardon a lot of people at the end of their presidency, including people they don't know

The Republicans literally spent their entire time wasting money on an ethics committee for Hunter Biden because they couldn't find anything on biden

Id argue that when the government is spending millions to investigate a guy who isn't even part of the government, it's a political prosecution

He never even worked for the government

Unlike the trump family who are all being given positions of power and are openly abusing them

Irrespective, because of the Republican bs, Hunter is going to never be able to just do his time and live his life

Don't forget that trump is also putting his own people in charge of positions of law too and he isn't signing any ethics documents or selecting them ethically.

Even with a pardon, trump is a spiteful shit and i guarantee he'll be attacking all of his political enemies

The pardon power was exactly for this. The entire investigation was a political witch hunt. It's meant to prevent exactly this kind of mistreatment in the justice system. Just because the person happens to be the president's son changes nothing except that people will fall into GOP propaganda they've been setting up for years, while they push this investigation.

We fought against the Republicans to prevent misuse of executive powers exactly like this.

And we lost.

Americans want corruption. We voted explicitly for it.

No point in taking the high road or honoring decorum anymore. It doesn't work to win elections in America.

My understanding is that he's trying to prevent a witch hunt against his son when Trump takes office. I would have done the same thing

It shocks me to see people defending this.

On principle I agree with you but the US public voted in a wannabe dictator convict who is blatantly corrupt on every level at every opportunity. I also tend to think Republicans went to great lengths to attack Hunter since they couldn't successfully attack Biden himself - and I could totally see Trump going after Hunter as an example and to target some figure in a powerplay. That harpie Congresswoman from Georgia literally showed nudes of Hunter on the floor of Congress for no reason, continuing the trend of the GOP having no "soul" or morals. Republicans have successfully ripped apart the country after Biden's admin did its best to fix all the bs the GOP did 4 years ago. Fuck it, I just don't care - Let Biden have this.

So if you knew your son was about to be thrown in prison by your political opponents, you would do nothing? Then feel good about yourself?

Are you an asshole or a liar? Or both?

It shocks me to see people defending this.

It shocks me that you did not 100% realize a year ago that this was exactly what was going to happen. It was a bullshit witch hunt charge that was only prosecuted because Hunter Biden was a high profile person.

Based take, also great comment

when basically the only messaging we sent out during the entire 2024 campaign was that we were the morally superior choice. That someone who doesn't respect the rule of law has no business being president.

And how exactly did that work out? I don't think moral superiority is at all a helpful thing in politics.

I get where you’re coming from, but the political opposition in America to democrats is now literally Nazis and white supremacists. Bidens action isn’t a win for voters in any sense, that’s the only objectionable part tbh.

Just thinking about this

Here's for wishing

I can't stand this "not a good look" talk when democrats have to basically be squeaky cleak that they can't even own a peanut farm or swear and yet 10 years into the "grab them by the pussy" guy who makes fun of disabled people, women, calls everyone names including his own party... Nobody bats an eyelash. I don't care if Joe Biden lied for his son at this point, Donald pardoned and will continue to pardon dozens of family and staff and insurrectionists. It's ok for Trump to lie about not knowing project 2025 and then immediately hire everyone involved with it days later... But Biden can't lie once. Got it.

Yeah honestly I'd do the same if I were in his position. I can't blame him.

It really shows how fucked up and desperate the American political discourse is at this point IMO. Before it was "see how much integrity Biden has for not even pardoning his own son", now it's turned into "Hunter was a political prisoner and victim of unjust persecution" in an instant. No one is willing to admit any faults because the other side gleefully profits from them. I can understand why people do it, but it's a worrying indication for the state of politics in America.

Absolutely. It's turned into /r/TheJoe around here. Pretty disappointed in all those cheering on this shit just because it's their team.

I'm very torn about it. I don't think he would have done it if Kamala won. I can totally see Trump trying to get Hunter beheaded, so in that way I'm fine with what Biden did.

I support it. This as miscarriage as a miscarriage of justice gets. A politically motivated investigation turns unfiled taxes and a gun law that could imprison half the country (smoke a joint after going to a range and you're guilty too) into a politically rejected plea deal and 25 years in prison?

That's a fucking nightmare not justice. He should be on an IRS payment plan and monitoring for drugs. That's the normal outcome.

I am more shocked by people supporting Biden’s action than the action itself

I am more shocked by you not fully realizing a year ago that this was exactly what was going to happen than anything Biden did. Hunter Biden was prosecuted for something that likely nobody else would have been.

I support it.

Americans explicitly voted for blatant corruption.

Now they're going to get it.

We're just getting what we voted for.

I do love it. It's about time a Democrat fucking did something without constant worry about what Fox News might say about it. You think we were going to win over these supposed "centrists" anyway?

He's not appointing him to a cabinet position. He's not making him the Ambassador to France. And the only reason he was having the entire book thrown at him for crimes he did, absolutely commit was, in fact, political.

Fuck former Senator Bob Menendez. That was real corruption. Fuck Blagojevich, he should rot in prison (except that Trump pardoned him). But Hunter's crimes were pretty minor.

A lot of these comments sum up to "if they can do bad, we can do bad". Two party system will be the death of the U.S.

Totally legal. Totally cool.

On the one hand this is pretty hypocritical. On the other hand I probably would do the same in his position given that trump plans to weaponize the Justice department.

Seriously. Here's the scenario I put myself in:

• I'm 82 years old
• Three close family members, including my first wife and two of my children, have died.
• I'm being succeeded by someone who has promised to leverage government agencies to attack his political enemies
• My son has symbolically become one of those enemies
• I have choices:

 

• I can wait to see whether my successor does some third world shit to him while he's in prison and be powerless to stop it if he does

OR

• I can use my current powers to free him, saving him from that fate, and getting more time with my remaining son during my final few years of life.

Fuck I know what choice I'm making.

I understand every single argument about why he shouldn't have done it. I agree with some of them. Still no problem for me to put myself in a state of mind where I do the exact same thing.

Go ahead and come at me if you want, folks. I understand, but I won't be changing my mind. If I'm 82 years old, my son stands a good chance of being abused while in a jail cell after I retire, and I can both avoid that plus also get an extra year+ with my son before I die, with nothing more required than expressing my wish for him to be released, I'm doing it.

And to think, the legal system was without fault before this.

Republicans were literally showing his stolen dick pics during congressional hearings as revenge porn

If they weren't in Congress, they would have been prosecuted in most countries

In practice, in most countries because of factors like this judges would have possibly pardoned him anyway