Joe Biden’s decision to pardon his son, Hunter, has ignited a political firestorm in Washington. The move has drawn ire from many Democrats and handed Republicans an easy narrative: “Biden’s no better than Trump.” After all, Trump spent his presidency granting pardons to his allies with abandon. Now Biden has done something similar, leading some to question whether he has forfeited the moral high ground.
Critics on the right, particularly among the MAGA faithful, find themselves in a bind. They applauded Trump’s prolific use of pardons, so condemning Biden for doing the same risks exposing their double standards and cognitive dissonance.
Dig deeper, though, and Biden’s decision isn’t purely political - it’s personal. From a parent’s perspective, his choice becomes more relatable, even if it’s politically fraught. Biden’s reputation may be hanging by a thread, but his motivation is steeped in familial loyalty.
Biden, at 81, faced calls from within his party to step aside after one term. Many believed a younger Democrat would have a stronger chance of defeating Trump in 2024. Yet Biden chose to run again, perhaps fuelled by the belief that his experience made him uniquely suited to the role. This decision had its consequences: Biden’s re-election campaign inadvertently gave Trump a shot at a comeback - a prospect that carries personal stakes for Biden and his family.
Trump’s brand of politics is notoriously vindictive. Should he return to power, Hunter Biden would almost certainly be a prime target. Hunter has already endured public scrutiny over his business dealings and personal struggles, making him vulnerable. For Trump, going after Hunter wouldn’t just hurt the Biden family - it would also serve to discredit Joe Biden’s presidency. Biden, knowing his son’s fragility under pressure, took the drastic step of shielding him from Trump’s vengeance by issuing the pardon.
Viewed through this lens, Biden’s action appears less about political strategy and more about protecting his family from an unrelenting adversary. While it’s messy and controversial, the human side is hard to ignore: any parent with the power to protect their child might do the same.
Critics argue Biden should have adhered to a higher standard, but Trump’s precedent complicates the debate. During his presidency, Trump handed out pardons to loyalists and lawbreakers alike. Compared to that, Biden’s pardon of his son seems measured, albeit problematic. Yet the perception of impropriety persists, as Biden once pledged to uphold integrity and independence in the justice system.
Republicans will undoubtedly weaponise this decision, casting Biden as corrupt while glossing over their leader’s own pardon spree. Democrats, too, may struggle to reconcile this move with Biden’s promise to be “better than Trump.” But for Biden, this decision likely transcends politics. It’s about Hunter, and that’s a choice only a parent can fully grasp.
Interestingly, Biden’s move could serve as a tactical masterstroke. By using Trump’s own playbook, he has executed a kind of political jiu-jitsu, turning Trump’s tactics against him. Trump’s rage is predictable, but his ability to complain is limited - doing so risks exposing his own hypocrisy.
Nevertheless, the broader implications for democracy are troubling. If presidential pardons become tools for personal and political gain, it erodes public trust in the office. Biden’s pardon might even spark calls for reform, perhaps introducing judicial oversight of presidential clemency. Yet it’s unclear who would champion such changes, given how entrenched the power has become.
Ultimately, Biden’s decision is a gamble. It might tarnish his legacy and provide fodder for opponents, but it could also highlight his humanity. As he stares down the twilight of his life and presidency, Biden seems less concerned with reelection and more focused on what matters most to him: protecting his son. Whether history judges him harshly or sympathetically will depend on how the Trump phenomenon unfolds and how the public reckons with the limits of presidential power.
1 comment:
I also thought that Hunter may have plead guilty for his father’s sake - to prevent the trial distracting from the election. You just know that Sleazeball (I refuse to type his name let alone speak it) would have been harping on about it every day. I think Biden did exactly the right thing. I felt that his son was targeted because of who he was - he may have been guilty (or not) but it was the Republicans trying desperately to find something they could use to discredit Biden that led to the investigation and charges in the first place. Sleazeball will still pardon all his allies and claim it’s legitimate - when did he ever care about being a hypocrite. He’ll just claim that his pardons are for people who were unjustly convicted to target him while Biden pardoned his son for personal reasons.
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