US President’s move shields Hunter Biden from jail time for tax and gun charges, despite earlier promises
President Joe Biden has issued a “full and unconditional” pardon for his son, Hunter Biden, effectively shielding him from prison time following his convictions on gun and tax offences. The move reverses the president’s prior statements, where he had firmly ruled out using his presidential powers to intervene in his son’s legal troubles.
Hunter Biden had faced possible sentencing for charges stemming from a guilty plea on tax violations and a conviction related to a firearm offence. The pardon comes just weeks before he was due to be sentenced for these cases, and shortly before President-elect Donald Trump’s return to the White House, following his electoral victory in 2024. The decision ends a protracted legal saga for the younger Biden, which began publicly in December 2020 when he revealed that he was under federal investigation.
Biden had previously made public assurances that he would not use his presidential position to intervene in his family’s legal matters. In June, when Hunter Biden’s trial was underway, the president firmly rejected the notion of issuing a pardon, telling reporters, “I will not pardon him.” Even as late as November, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre reiterated that there would be no pardon, declaring, “Our answer stands, which is no.”
However, in a statement released on Sunday evening, President Biden justified his decision, explaining that while he believes in the justice system, he felt that “raw politics” had tainted the process, leading to a “miscarriage of justice.” Biden’s sweeping pardon not only covers the charges related to his son’s gun and tax violations but also extends to any other potential offences committed by Hunter Biden between January 1, 2014, and December 1, 2024.
This unprecedented move has sparked significant controversy, particularly as it contradicts the president’s earlier commitments to maintain strict ethical boundaries. Critics, including former President Donald Trump, have condemned the action, with Trump describing it as “such an abuse and miscarriage of justice” in a social media post.
The timing of the pardon coincides with President Biden’s long-anticipated trip to Africa, where he is expected to highlight a major US-backed railway project in Zambia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Angola. The trip is part of a broader effort to strengthen US influence in Africa amid growing geopolitical competition, particularly from China.
The decision to pardon his son casts a shadow over Biden’s legacy, which had been marked by promises to restore integrity to American governance after the divisiveness of Donald Trump’s first term. It remains to be seen how this pardon will affect Biden’s standing both domestically and internationally, especially as he seeks to bolster his administration’s achievements abroad.
