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submitted 3 weeks ago by MicroWave@lemmy.world to c/news@lemmy.world

Summary

President Joe Biden pardoned his son Hunter Biden, reversing his prior stance against using executive clemency.

The pardon covers Hunter’s federal gun conviction and tax evasion guilty plea, sparking political controversy.

Biden cited political attacks and a “miscarriage of justice” as reasons for his decision, emphasizing his son’s recovery from addiction and the targeting of his family.

Critics argue the move undermines the judicial process, while supporters view it as within Biden’s constitutional powers.

This decision shields Hunter from potential prison time as Biden nears the end of his presidency.

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[-] Furbag@lemmy.world 70 points 3 weeks ago

I'm not happy about this. Not one bit. Just like how I wouldn't have been happy to hear about Trump pardoning one of his own kids for breaking the law. As a matter of fact, I'm furious reading some of the comments in this thread.

It shocks me to see people defending this. We fought against the Republicans to prevent misuse of executive powers exactly like this. How the fuck can you sit there and rationalize this while saying it's wrong for Trump to pardon the Jan 6th insurrectionists? or himself for that matter?

This is a black stain on Biden's presidential legacy. It's shit like this that puts wind in the sails of all the crazy Republican conspiracy theorists out there. Now, every single motherfucker who ranted and raved about the "Biden Crime Family" since 2020 was just proven right, just like how all the people who said that Trump's convictions were politically motivated were proven right when Jack Smith dropped the charges. It makes us look like fucking morons and hypocrites.

No, before anyone says it, it is not smart to stoop to their level when basically the only messaging we sent out during the entire 2024 campaign was that we were the morally superior choice. That someone who doesn't respect the rule of law has no business being president. Now, we don't even have that to lean on.

[-] SeaJ@lemm.ee 17 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

100%

I'm not super shocked to see people defending this because a chunk of people will always play defense. I'm shocked to see how many are defending this. Nobody should give a shit about Hunter Biden. The attention brought onto him was certainly politically motivated but the trial itself was not. He did the crimes and he should be ready for the consequences. The guy is clearly a grifter.

I don't care if Democrats stoop to the level of Republicans when it is actually defending our rights. When it is for blatant nepotism though? Fuck that with a sharp stick.

Funnily enough, the local satire paper here ran a story right before Thanksgiving with the headline "Turkey Pardoned by President Looks an Awful Lot Like Hunter Biden" with a picture of Hunter in a turkey suit. I think I would actually be more supportive if that had actually happened.

[-] Knock_Knock_Lemmy_In@lemmy.world 5 points 3 weeks ago

It's very easy to defend Joe. He has zero incentive not to pardon his son.

[-] SeaJ@lemm.ee 8 points 3 weeks ago

I feel like the president should look out for the interests of the country. But maybe I'm an idealist in that regard.

[-] btaf45@lemmy.world 3 points 3 weeks ago

I feel like the president should look out for the interests of the country.

This has nothing at all to do with the interests of the country.

[-] stoly@lemmy.world 2 points 3 weeks ago

lol lol that sounded really naive, I’m sorry

[-] Knock_Knock_Lemmy_In@lemmy.world -2 points 3 weeks ago

Joe isn't really president anymore.

[-] theparadox@lemmy.world 16 points 3 weeks ago

No, before anyone says it, it is not smart to stoop to their level

While it's a bit disappointing, I understand that one perspective is that it is a defensive move. I don't think it is unreasonable to assume that Trump is going to abuse his power and weaponize the Justice Dept to extract everything he can, politically, from the resulting show.

I don't know whether or not Biden would have done the exact same thing if it was a more reasonable Republican administration coming in. That would be far more telling. It might have been that Biden was making a show of it with the assumption that he'd be overseeing and influencing it all as president and if that weren't the case he'd be abusing his authority to spare his son.

Yes, it's frustrating because of the message it send but frankly, I don't think it'll cause much trouble. Everyone who'd see it as an admission of the guilt of the "Biden crime family" wasn't going to change their mind, even if Hunter was publicly drawn and quartered by the Biden administration. Those folks would immediately move the goal post - "Yeah, whatever, but what about..." or just insist Hunter's death was fake and it was all sham.

[-] aesthelete@lemmy.world 16 points 3 weeks ago

This is a black stain on Biden’s presidential legacy.

Hahahahaha

[-] 100_kg_90_de_belin@feddit.it 1 points 3 weeks ago

Yeah, one year of unabashed support for a genocidal war wouldn't be that much of a stain.

[-] aesthelete@lemmy.world 1 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

That's true too but the framing is what cracks me up. This idea of "legacy" or "being on the right side of history"....it's all a kind of Aaron Sorkin / Jon Meacham question that does not really seem to affect anything or matter to anyone in the electorate.

EDIT: I'm guilty of thinking this way about the presidency in the past, but what Trump changed for me -- likely for a lifetime -- is that "the office" doesn't imbue the office holder any dignity, respect, or gravitas any longer in my eyes. Honestly, it never should have in the first place.

The idea of the office as belonging to dignified holders who always have the nation's best interests at heart is purely a fictional, sentimental framing of what it actually is and is not supported at all by an accurate reading of history. Some of them really try to do good things for people. Most of them do things that are bad but do them for well-intended reasons. But some of them -- maybe even a lot of them -- are unadulterated assholes who deserve no respect at all.

[-] Ghostalmedia@lemmy.world 8 points 3 weeks ago

Republicans in Congress are never going to want to limit excessive executive power if it’s only ever used in service of things they like.

[-] auzy@lemmy.world 6 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

It might come as a shock, but the president actually tends to pardon a lot of people at the end of their presidency, including people they don't know

The Republicans literally spent their entire time wasting money on an ethics committee for Hunter Biden because they couldn't find anything on biden

Id argue that when the government is spending millions to investigate a guy who isn't even part of the government, it's a political prosecution

He never even worked for the government

Unlike the trump family who are all being given positions of power and are openly abusing them

Irrespective, because of the Republican bs, Hunter is going to never be able to just do his time and live his life

Don't forget that trump is also putting his own people in charge of positions of law too and he isn't signing any ethics documents or selecting them ethically.

Even with a pardon, trump is a spiteful shit and i guarantee he'll be attacking all of his political enemies

[-] tb_@lemmy.world 4 points 3 weeks ago

Id argue that when the government is spending millions to investigate a guy who isn't even part of the government, it's a political prosecution

I may not like it, but also kinda fair.

[-] Maggoty@lemmy.world 6 points 3 weeks ago

The pardon power was exactly for this. The entire investigation was a political witch hunt. It's meant to prevent exactly this kind of mistreatment in the justice system. Just because the person happens to be the president's son changes nothing except that people will fall into GOP propaganda they've been setting up for years, while they push this investigation.

[-] mossberg590@lemmy.world -1 points 3 weeks ago

Then pardon him for all other crimes, not what he pled guilty/ convicted on. Sends the wrong message to pardon him on everything.

[-] meliaesc@lemmy.world 5 points 3 weeks ago

Sentence Trump first.

[-] prof_wafflez@lemmy.world 5 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

It shocks me to see people defending this.

On principle I agree with you but the US public voted in a wannabe dictator convict who is blatantly corrupt on every level at every opportunity. I also tend to think Republicans went to great lengths to attack Hunter since they couldn't successfully attack Biden himself - and I could totally see Trump going after Hunter as an example and to target some figure in a powerplay. That harpie Congresswoman from Georgia literally showed nudes of Hunter on the floor of Congress for no reason, continuing the trend of the GOP having no "soul" or morals. Republicans have successfully ripped apart the country after Biden's admin did its best to fix all the bs the GOP did 4 years ago. Fuck it, I just don't care - Let Biden have this.

[-] Hadriscus@lemm.ee 5 points 3 weeks ago

My understanding is that he's trying to prevent a witch hunt against his son when Trump takes office. I would have done the same thing

[-] ToastedPlanet@lemmy.blahaj.zone -1 points 3 weeks ago

Then you shouldn't be president.

[-] Hadriscus@lemm.ee 1 points 3 weeks ago
[-] ToastedPlanet@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

President Carter! blobcat, surprise

If Democrats are going to do this for Hunter then lets do it for the illegal immigrants in federal prison who are probably going to be deported by fascists. And lets give them citizenship too. If Hunter shouldn't be the subject of a political witch hunt then neither should immigrants.

Until then this pardon is nepotism. And I want none of it in the government. edit: typo

[-] Hadriscus@lemm.ee 1 points 3 weeks ago
[-] DarkFuture@lemmy.world 5 points 3 weeks ago

We fought against the Republicans to prevent misuse of executive powers exactly like this.

And we lost.

Americans want corruption. We voted explicitly for it.

No point in taking the high road or honoring decorum anymore. It doesn't work to win elections in America.

[-] Furbag@lemmy.world 0 points 3 weeks ago

I don't want to live in an America where the government is run by people who are in a race to the bottom. I won't be complicit in the corruption. It's time to call a stone a stone.

[-] DarkFuture@lemmy.world 8 points 3 weeks ago

I don’t want to live in an America where the government is run by people who are in a race to the bottom.

You already do.

I won’t be complicit in the corruption.

Have fun changing it. The majority of Americans just disagreed with you and voted for blatant corruption.

[-] btaf45@lemmy.world 2 points 3 weeks ago

It shocks me to see people defending this.

It shocks me that you did not 100% realize a year ago that this was exactly what was going to happen. It was a bullshit witch hunt charge that was only prosecuted because Hunter Biden was a high profile person.

[-] blockheadjt@sh.itjust.works 2 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

So if you knew your son was about to be thrown in prison by your political opponents, you would do nothing? Then feel good about yourself?

Are you an asshole or a liar? Or both?

[-] ToastedPlanet@lemmy.blahaj.zone 1 points 3 weeks ago

To answer your question, I wouldn't feel good, I would feel great.

I don't care what you think I am. I want justice. The American people want justice. This isn't justice. It's corruption. We shouldn't want corruption in the government, because that's how countries deteriorate.

People want to live in a country with a fair justice system. Biden contributed to the system he says was unfair to his son and then saves his son from it. Biden is fucking off with his family, they got theirs. We don't have a reason to defend Biden anymore. Blue MAGA isn't useful for winning elections.

[-] Shardikprime@lemmy.world 1 points 3 weeks ago

Based take, also great comment

[-] candybrie@lemmy.world 1 points 3 weeks ago

when basically the only messaging we sent out during the entire 2024 campaign was that we were the morally superior choice. That someone who doesn't respect the rule of law has no business being president.

And how exactly did that work out? I don't think moral superiority is at all a helpful thing in politics.

[-] nifty@lemmy.world 8 points 3 weeks ago

Moral superiority is an important cultural and ideological component, it’s something to strive for. But if your political opponents keep bending rules to their favor, being civil seems like a complete waste of time. I agree with the other comments pointing out that this isn’t a win for voters at all.

[-] candybrie@lemmy.world -2 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

It isn't a win. But it isn't a loss either. It just doesn't matter.

Maybe it's a step towards losing that holier than thou attitude and actually getting things done.

[-] nifty@lemmy.world -2 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

I get where you’re coming from, but the political opposition in America to democrats is now literally Nazis and white supremacists. Bidens action isn’t a win for voters in any sense, that’s the only objectionable part tbh.

this post was submitted on 02 Dec 2024
741 points (97.9% liked)

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