Video of Joe Biden promising not to pardon son Hunter resurfaces after POTUS reverses stance

WASHINGTON, DC: A video of President Joe Biden saying he would not use his executive authority to pardon his son, Hunter Biden, resurfaced after he reversed his stance on the issue.

The POTUS issued a "full and unconditional pardon" for any offenses Hunter has "committed or may have committed or taken part in during the period from January 1, 2014, through December 1, 2024," according to a statement released by the White House. 

Video of Joe Biden promising not to pardon his son Hunter Biden resurfaces

In the resurfaced video from June, Joe Biden told ABC News host David Muir that he would accept the jury's decision no matter what it is and added that he had ruled out a pardon for his son.

At the time, Hunter was on trial in Willmington, Delaware on three felony charges related to his efforts to obtain a firearm in 2018 while he was allegedly battling addiction to drugs. He had pleaded not guilty in October 2023 after being indicted by special counsel David Weiss. The jury found Hunter guilty on all three charges. 

President Biden frequently vowed that he would restore norms and respect for the rule of law following Donald Trump’s first term in office. 

Another video of White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre asserting that the POTUS would not pardon his son has also gone viral. 

She said at the time, "We’ve been asked that question multiple times. Our answer stands, which is no."

Joe Biden pardons Hunter Biden saying he was 'selectively and unfairly prosecuted'

President Joe Biden granted clemency to his son, Hunter Biden, on Sunday, December 1.

In a statement, he said, "I believe in the justice system, but as I have wrestled with this, I also believe raw politics has infected this process and it led to a miscarriage of justice — and once I made this decision this weekend, there was no sense in delaying it further. I hope Americans will understand why a father and a President would come to this decision."

The pardon means Hunter will not be sentenced and will not go to prison. Furthermore, his upcoming sentencing hearings, which were scheduled on December 12 and December 16, are expected to be canceled. 

In his statement, Biden also said that his son was "selectively and unfairly prosecuted," adding, "Hunter was treated differently."

"No reasonable person who looks at the facts of Hunter’s cases can reach any other conclusion than Hunter was singled out only because he is my son — and that is wrong. There has been an effort to break Hunter — who has been five and a half years sober, even in the face of unrelenting attacks and selective prosecution," noted the 82-year-old. 

Donald Trump calls Joe Biden's decision to pardon Hunter Biden a 'miscarriage of justice'

President-elect Donald Trump wasted no time in blasting Joe Biden over his decision to pardon his son, Hunter Biden. 

In a Truth Social post, he wrote, "Does the Pardon given by Joe to Hunter include the J-6 Hostages, who have now been imprisoned for years? Such an abuse and miscarriage of Justice!"

The "J-6 hostages" refer to those individuals imprisoned for their role in the January 6, 2021, Capitol Hill insurrection. Trump and his supporters have repeatedly called them "hostages," claiming they were acting peacefully and patriotically during the riot.

Apart from Trump, many other Republicans also called out Biden for his apparent hypocrisy.

James Comer,  Chairman of the House Oversight Committee, took to X (formerly Twitter) to write, "Joe Biden has lied from start to finish. It’s unfortunate that, rather than come clean about their decades of wrongdoing, President Biden and his family continue to do everything they can to avoid accountability."

John Barrasso, the number three Senate Republican, said in a post on X, "Joe Biden said he would not pardon his son for the crimes he has committed. He lied. Tonight’s pardon is wrong. It proves to the American people that there is a two-tier system of justice."

Internet slams Joe Biden for pardoning Hunter Biden

Netizens also questioned Joe Biden's decision to pardon his son, Hunter Biden, despite his public promises. 

One wrote, "What happened to 'No one is above the law?'" while another added, "He is a liar and always has been."

A person declared, "I'm old enough to remember that joe biden has been lying his a** off for decades," and someone else stated, "No one believed it for a minute. It was always going to happen."

"Never believed him...but, here we are!" remarked an individual, with one more commenting, "And this is what America is tired of. Disgusting."

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.