President Biden’s hypocrisy on full display: Pardons his own son after making a point about ‘independent’ justice"

In a move that’s being hailed as a “full and unconditional” pardon, President Joe Biden has announced that he’s granting his son Hunter Biden a free pass for all federal charges related to his time between 2014-2024. Just 50 days before leaving office, Biden had previously declared that he wouldn’t be making the move, stating he’d abide by the jury’s decision. But now, it seems he was just playing a different tune.

TL;DR

President Biden pardoned his son Hunter Biden, who was facing up to 25 years in prison for lying on a federal form about his drug addiction. This comes after months of saying he wouldn’t make the move, and is being met with criticism from politicians and others who called him out on his earlier stance. A case of “my family is more important than I am” - how about keeping your promises for once?

  • NoiseColor @lemmy.world
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    3 days ago

    Good decision. Trump and his gang promised all kinds of revenge. They don’t play by the rules. So it makes sense to do whatever for your last son.

    • rational_lib@lemmy.world
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      2 days ago

      Then pardon Vindman, Liz Cheney, and everyone else who didn’t commit actual crimes that Trump will actually take revenge on too. Or just admit this is plain nepotism.

      I voted for Harris, but I’m also sick of watching Biden single-handedly prop up MAGA with his ridiculous bullshit. And we’re not doing ourselves any favors by trying to justify this - the election’s over, we can stop pretending we like this guy now. Replace the failed leaders, yell at them until they go into the private sector. Now is the best time.

      • NoiseColor @lemmy.world
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        2 days ago

        Well this is just plain nepotism. I don’t think anyone is questioning that. Maga doesn’t need any propping up, they won. They won by doing a lot more than nepotism and promising even more of it. It’s what people want it seems.

        A grandpa at the end of his life doing something for his only son, how does that even matter.

    • andros_rex@lemmy.world
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      2 days ago

      If we’re going to start abusing presidential power preemptively, can we get some sort of executive protections for trans rights or waiving student loans? Things that’ll help someone other than the addict failson?

        • andros_rex@lemmy.world
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          2 days ago

          Canceling student loans would be hard to undo though. If we’re shutting down the Department of education anyway… who’s keeping track?

    • Voroxpete@sh.itjust.works
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      3 days ago

      I think the issue a lot of us have with this is less that he’s stooping to Trump’s level, and more that he’s only doing it to help his own family. Abusing the office of the president is apparently fine and good if its done on behalf of someone who’s name is Biden, but the rest of the planet can get fucked.

      • Sauerkraut@discuss.tchncs.de
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        3 days ago

        I mostly agree. This is abuse of Presidential power so it is hypocritical for liberals to deny that… But, at the same time, if I were in Biden’s situation I would likely do the same. And here is why:

        1. It is his son. His last son. Of course any loving father will do whatever they can to protect their son.

        2. Why should Democrats care what Republicans think? Democrats are getting curb stomped by fascists who give zero shit about the integrity of our institutions or abuse of political power. They truly don’t. People voted for a pedophile felon traitorous oligarch. If you agree to an honorable sparring match of fisty-cuffs and your opponent pulls out a glock and shoots you in the knees and the crowd cheers for the cheater, do you have any moral or pragmatic reason to keep playing by the rules? No.

      • gravitas_deficiency@sh.itjust.works
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        3 days ago

        I mean… there’s another read on this whole thing, too: “huh, I guess everyone voted for nepotism and insider deals, so why the fuck not, especially in this context?”

        Biden’s just giving the electorate a preview of what they voted for.

      • InputZero@lemmy.world
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        3 days ago

        Is he though? Isn’t one of the purposes of presidential pardons to protect a person from unjust political persecution. If Republicans weren’t Trump’s party I would agree it’s nepotism, but it is Trump’s party who will be in power. Trump has vowed to seek revenge on his opponents. Joe Biden is too old to really be punished as much as the Republicans want him to be, but Hunter Biden has many years left. MAGA Republicans could punish him for their hate of his father for at least four years, if not the rest of his life. Isn’t that one of the purposes of a presidential pardon?

    • yarr@feddit.nlOP
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      3 days ago

      Good decision. Trump and his gang promised all kinds of revenge. They don’t play by the rules. So it makes sense to do whatever for your last son.

      I would hope those that oppose Trump do not just adopt all his behaviors.

      • Kecessa@sh.itjust.works
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        3 days ago

        Fight fire with fire, if you keep going high the other party will realize it means they can go low and you’ll never do anything about it.

        • yarr@feddit.nlOP
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          2 days ago

          I hate this approach and would rather lose. The high road is the only road. I take it not because it is easy, but because it is worthwhile.

      • NoneOfUrBusiness@fedia.io
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        3 days ago

        I mean I fucking hate Biden’s guts but it literally makes no sense to leave his son at the victim of Trump. Whatever Hunter was getting was never going to be justice either way.

        • jballs@sh.itjust.works
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          2 days ago

          Didn’t the Justice Department originally decide not to pursue charges until Republicans threw a fit? Seems like it was already a politically motivated prosecution, so I have no issues with a political pardon.

        • superkret@feddit.org
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          3 days ago

          This shows that none of the 2 parties believe that the democratic system in the USA works anymore.
          Which means, it’s dead now.

          • Sauerkraut@discuss.tchncs.de
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            3 days ago

            Biden winning in 2020 gave us hope that people were realizing that fascists are full of shit and that they lie about everything, but Trump winning last month has shattered any faith or hope I had left in our two party system. It is hard to believe in a system when people are relentlessly assaulted with right wing propaganda year after year and then ultimately vote for a convicted felon pedo traitorous oligarch who denies climate science.

          • Boddhisatva@lemmy.world
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            3 days ago

            Yes, it is. So the Democrats, and anyone else who wants to try and resurrect it, need to get off their asses and start fighting dirty to rebuild it. The Republicans have been fighting to tear it down for more than 40 years using endless dirty tricks. Time to fight fire with fire. We cannot save democracy with sternly worded letters.

    • phoneymouse@lemmy.world
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      3 days ago

      Agreed. If Hunter Biden’s issues hadn’t been politically weaponized so much, I doubt Biden would have done it, but the truth is, with Trump coming in to office and threatening retaliation, it makes sense to pardon him.

      • Boddhisatva@lemmy.world
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        3 days ago

        The crimes Hunter was charged with are rarely enforced and rarely involve jail time. The Republican’s made this a political circus that would have certainly had Hunter doing time. If it wasn’t for that, Joe would not have needed to pardon him.

        • RedditRefugee69@lemmynsfw.com
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          2 days ago

          Honestly I kinda like the idea of people in high places doing time for things us plebs might, but my concern is Hunter getting the Epstein treatment, so I think the pardon is warranted.