Hunter Biden Case: Pres. Biden Rules Out Pardon
In an interview with ABC News, Pres. Joe Biden said that he would accept the outcome of his son Hunter Biden's felony gun trial in Delaware and ruled out pardoning him if he were to be convicted....
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Facts
- In an interview with ABC News, Pres. Joe Biden said that he would accept the outcome of his son Hunter Biden's felony gun trial in Delaware and ruled out pardoning him if he were to be convicted.1
- Hunter Biden is charged with purchasing and possessing a gun during his addiction to illegal drugs — with his crack cocaine and alcohol use being a centerpiece of the case. He has pled not guilty to the charges.2
- Prosecutors allege that Hallie Biden, the widow of Hunter's brother Beau, disposed of Hunter's gun herself. She testified this week that Hunter was a drug user when he bought the gun in 2018.3
- The White House has previously ruled out issuing a pardon amidst Hunter's legal troubles, including the gun case and federal tax charges. Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in December that a potential pardon was not an option.4
- In his interview, conducted in France for the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings, Biden also accused former Pres. Donald Trump of 'trying to undermine' the rule of law by claiming that he did not receive a fair trial in his New York hush-money case.1
- On Monday, Pres. Biden issued a statement as his son's gun trial began, declining to comment on the charges but saying that he had 'boundless love' for Hunter.3
Sources: 1ABC News, 2CNN, 3Politico and 4NBC.
Narratives
- Democratic narrative, as provided by Politico. Pres. Biden has shown himself to be a leader who truly respects the country and the values for which it stands. Even though these dubious charges were brought by a Trump-appointed special counsel, he has steadfastly refused to consider pardoning his son and has refrained from commenting on the trial. This is a stark contrast with Trump's undignified mob boss tactics of intimidation and denial.
- Republican narrative, as provided by Daily Wire. Given how cut-and-dry the facts in Hunter's trial seem to be, this is hardly a grand pronouncement, as the public would object to such a blatant injustice in what seems like an open-and-shut case. The same can't be said about the overblown and politically motivated charges that Trump has faced at the hands of left-leaning prosecutors. There is no equivalency between the charges Hunter and Trump are facing.
