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.

  • @mdurell@lemmy.world
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    95 months ago

    Of course he did. If you thought otherwise you were gullible. Politicians lie and party affiliation makes no difference. Save the outrage for the truly outrageous things the next 4 years are going to bring.

  • @trustnoone@lemmy.sdf.org
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    105 months ago

    The scary thing about this is not that he did it. But that this is where we are at. I believe (I’m not from the us and don’t follow politics so could be wrong). That Biden believed in the system and thought others did too.

    But with Trump coming in, he now believes the system is broken. What he believed in is broken. And as such he’s getting what’s his, for himself. And now democrat or Republican they both will stomp on the US system to get what they want.

    And I have no doubt that the US people are really going to learn what that truly means. When you throwaway the guard rails that you used to believe in. I hope you watch closely.

  • @2pt_perversion@lemmy.world
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    55 months ago

    Hunter individually didn’t really deserve a pardon for tax offenses but I can understand it. Hopefully since we’re going full fuck it mode with presidential powers Biden can do something much more deserving of the powers like removing marijuana as a controlled substance and pardoning non-violent marijuana felons.

    • @catloaf@lemm.ee
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      25 months ago

      He already did pardon all federal use and simple possession crimes. But the vast majority are at the state level.

  • Queen HawlSera
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    225 months ago

    Considering Hunter Biden was the victim of a politically motivated witch hunt, and not an actual criminal. I have no problem with this,

  • @EnderMB@lemmy.world
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    615 months ago

    It’s not a great look…but let’s be frank. Biden was pushed out of a race he wanted, during a presidency that wasn’t all that bad considering what came before. The Dems that wanted him out are now all either infighting, or saying everything is fine and they’ll definitely win in four years. Biden’s in the last weeks of his job, and when he’s lost so much already he probably just wants to ensure his family are safe.

    After decades of public service, and being committed to handing power over to someone that’s demonized what’s left of his family, I’m all for Biden using his last week or two to protect his family and enjoy retirement.

  • nifty
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    335 months ago

    Good. I hope the democrats play just as dirty and hard as the republicans going forward. We cannot be civil with barbarians.

  • @atzanteol@sh.itjust.works
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    155 months ago

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

    It’s both. I’m very disappointed by this. I had hoped Biden would maintain integrity on this.

    • @atzanteol@sh.itjust.works
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      -25 months ago

      Side note - it’s funny to watch how quickly leftists are descending into maga-like craziness defending this obvious abuse of power.

      “Trump did worse” is not a principle.

      • @DarkFuture@lemmy.world
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        15 months ago

        it’s funny to watch how quickly leftists are descending into maga-like craziness

        Well, we just saw lawless, violent MAGA gain total control of our federal government by lying and cheating.

        So that’s the standard now. Americans voted to prove so. We’re just adapting to our environment.

        I hope we lie, cheat, and steal to the max in the next election (if there is one), so we can gain total control using the same tactics. Because those are the tactics that work in America.

          • @DarkFuture@lemmy.world
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            15 months ago

            Nah. I just want the party that has a history of voting in favor of working class Americans and being better for our economy to do what they need to do to get elected in America. Which is lie, cheat, and steal.

          • @nomous@lemmy.world
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            25 months ago

            vote blue no matter who next election tho

            The left in the U.S. is a joke who’ll never get their shit together.

        • Slueth
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          75 months ago

          @Yodan@lemm.ee

          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.

          @slickgoat@lemmy.world

          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.

          @Wrench@lemmy.world

          A lot of people here missing the point. We don’t care about this because Hunter was the target of a witch hunt. The actual “crimes” weren’t impactful at all. The Republicans literally spent 8 years dragging him through the mud, digging for anything that he could be charged with, just because who his dad is. And Hunter didn’t even touch politics in the slightest.

          The gun charge is the moral equivalent of crucifying someone for having pirated music on their hard drive. It was a nothing crime, never enforced, and the only reason it was in this case was because they happened to find something they could latch onto.

          That’s why most of us don’t really care. The man is not important. He holds no position of power, nor has he expressed any intent to. He is not important, except as a whipping boy for their propaganda. And a pardon for such preposterous prosecution is fine with me.

          And that’s just a few from this post.

      • AreaSIX
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        85 months ago

        What ‘leftist’ supports Biden?! The political compass in the US is… Special I guess? There’s no ‘left’ on the mainstream political spectrum in the US as far as I can see. Libs are not leftists by any standard in any country outside of the US. The Dems are to the right of the right coalition in charge of my country right now.

      • @SulaymanF@lemmy.world
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        25 months ago

        “Trump did worse” is not a principle.

        Thank you! It’s been so aggravating, it’s like they are unable to defend Biden’s awful policies without saying Trump’s name.

  • @slickgoat@lemmy.world
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    155 months 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.

    • @DarkFuture@lemmy.world
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      15 months 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.

    • @sushibowl@feddit.nl
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      225 months ago

      I disagree. There is pushing back for political gain, and pushing back for personal gain. Pardoning hunter is certainly an example of Biden abandoning the moral high ground. However it does not advance the cause of the democratic party in any way and only serves Joe Biden and his family personally. This is not a step in the right direction, it gives up moral correctness only to make the political position of the Democrats worse.

        • @sushibowl@feddit.nl
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          125 months ago

          I see the “Republican are always giving up moral superiority to gain an advantage so Democrats should do it too” argument. But at least get something worthwhile for selling your soul. Like, if you’re packing the supreme court you can at least protect abortion rights properly. If you nuke the senate filibuster you can pass some decent healthcare laws, or tax the rich maybe. Pardoning Hunter does nothing for anyone except the Biden family.

          Joe is acknowledging that the justice system sucks and powers that be can decide to fuck you over with it any time, but instead of abusing his power to try and fix it, he’s just bailing out his loved ones and then riding off into the sunset, leaving the rest of us to get fucked over. That’s stupid.

          • @DarkFuture@lemmy.world
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            15 months ago

            Pardoning Hunter does nothing for anyone except the Biden family.

            So?

            Guy was an actual good president. Anyone that’s done their homework knows that. And he got fucking shafted by a stupid populace.

            You think he should now respect that stupid populace by leaving his son in prison for non-violent crimes while a criminal president who explicitly stated he would target his political opponents sits in the Oval Office?

            Nah dawg.

            And late-term pardons are not some new thing. It’s only news now because a Democrat did it and Democrats have always been held to a higher standard. And that shit needs to change because in America taking the high road doesn’t benefit you in any way.

      • @DarkFuture@lemmy.world
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        5 months ago

        it gives up moral correctness

        That doesn’t matter in America anymore.

        only to make the political position of the Democrats worse.

        How could it be worse? They lost everything.

        We now know, beyond doubt, that attempting to take the moral high ground and honor decorum will make you lose in America. Time for Dems to shift their strategy and play in the mud with Republicans.

        Americans are dumb and easily influenced. At this point I’m actually fine with Dems spreading blatant misinformation to win. Because that’s how it’s done in America now.

    • GHiLA
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      -15 months 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.

    • Slueth
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      -15 months 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.

    • @Saleh@feddit.org
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      85 months 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.today
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        65 months 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
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          15 months 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.today
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            15 months 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
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              35 months 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.today
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                55 months 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
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                  -25 months 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!

  • @Aceticon@lemmy.world
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    5 months ago

    What’s funny is the expectation by so many here that a guy “unwaveringly supporting” people mass murdering children for their etnicity would have the Morals to not pardon his own son when he can do it at no cost to himself.

    Like all other sociopaths only considerations about “consequences” drive his choices.

  • @azimir@lemmy.ml
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    2995 months ago

    The prior president pardoned a family member who was blackmailing and raping people, then appointed the same criminal to be ambassador to France. I don’t give a fuck what President Biden does now. We’re a country of criminals and oligarchs now.

          • @DarkFuture@lemmy.world
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            15 months ago

            Nah. I just want the party that has a history of voting in favor of working class Americans and being better for our economy to do what they need to do to get elected in America. Which is lie, cheat, and steal.

      • @nomous@lemmy.world
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        105 months ago

        “This guy keeps punching me in the face but I think punching is morally wrong so I’ll just let him break my nose.”

        • @atzanteol@sh.itjust.works
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          15 months ago

          This is exactly what they say about you too justify what they’re doing.

          It’s amazing how quickly all the pride in our founding, American values, principles, etc are just discarded the moment one team loses an election.

          • @nomous@lemmy.world
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            25 months ago

            This is exactly what they say about you too

            Bro they spent 5 years talking about adrenochrome and “demonrats” space lasers I’d be surprised if they could pronounce my name. I don’t need to do anything to trigger them, so why even dance around?

    • @Cleggory@lemmy.world
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      -495 months ago

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

      • @Cleggory@lemmy.world
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        -405 months ago

        It’s incredibly sad to see Democrats embrace hypocrisy with pride regarding a simple and obvious issue like this.

        Trump will have a field day pardoning Jan 6 criminals with this additional political cover from Biden.

        • plz1
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          785 months ago

          He was going to do those J6 pardons anyways, don’t kid yourself. He didn’t need “additional cover”.

        • First part is true. It is sad and even a pretty respectable president has taken a fuck it attitude toward nepotism. Second part of your statement is silly though. Trump is shameless criminal, no amount of “cover” is needed - he was going to pardon those traitors regardless.

          If democracy ever re-emerges in some other time or place, hopefully they won’t give this power to presidents. It’s ridiculous and heavily abused throughout history.

          • @Cleggory@lemmy.world
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            -185 months ago

            Trump has now won twice because of Dem incompetence and hypocrisy.

            Dems moving to the right is not irrelevant to Trump’s existence in office.

          • @superkret@feddit.org
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            15 months ago

            If democracy ever re-emerges in some other time or place

            Why don’t you cool it with the American exceptionalism? There are lots of countries that are still democratic, and have been more democratic than the US for many decades.

            Just because US democracy has failed doesn’t mean it’s failed globally. Sit down for a bit, shut up, fix your own shit, try not to start an illegal war for a while, and then re-join us when you’re ready.

      • @ubergeek@lemmy.today
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        65 months ago

        Biden cannot do any of those.

        Senate makes it’s own rules. Biden doesn’t make them. Parlimentarian is chosen by a house committee. Number if SCOTUS justices is set by law, not presidential decree.

  • @Treczoks@lemmy.world
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    25 months ago

    That pardon smells fishy, but I can understand that he does not want to leave his son exposed to imprisonment under Trump. Donald has shown time and again that he has no problems in going after weak persons to extract petty revenge.

  • @Furbag@lemmy.world
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    655 months ago

    I’m not happy about this. Not one bit. Just like how I wouldn’t have been happy to hear about Trump pardoning one of his own kids for breaking the law. As a matter of fact, I’m furious reading some of the comments in this thread.

    It shocks me to see people defending this. We fought against the Republicans to prevent misuse of executive powers exactly like this. How the fuck can you sit there and rationalize this while saying it’s wrong for Trump to pardon the Jan 6th insurrectionists? or himself for that matter?

    This is a black stain on Biden’s presidential legacy. It’s shit like this that puts wind in the sails of all the crazy Republican conspiracy theorists out there. Now, every single motherfucker who ranted and raved about the “Biden Crime Family” since 2020 was just proven right, just like how all the people who said that Trump’s convictions were politically motivated were proven right when Jack Smith dropped the charges. It makes us look like fucking morons and hypocrites.

    No, before anyone says it, it is not smart to stoop to their level 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. Now, we don’t even have that to lean on.