PARDON PARTY — The Weekly Opine

President Biden’s mistake was saying he would not pardon Hunter Biden. (Photo credit Foreign Policy)

The Biden’s jump in

In what will surely be a memorable Thanksgiving weekend, last Sunday Hunter Biden was the beneficiary of one of the greatest gifts a son can receive from his father. President Joe Biden’s unequivocal pardon of his son, covering any crimes committed from January 1, 2014, to December 1, 2024, will long be remembered but should not be debated for much longer. Any father who loves his son would do the same, regardless of how many Republicans, led by House Speaker Mike Johnson, and off-the-mark Democrats argue against the president’s decision.

Given the chance, man/boy House Speaker Johnson would pardon his son under similar circumstances. Having claimed the title “America’s #1 Fake Christian” that once belonged to former Vice President Mike Pence, Johnson pretends to be above reproach when in fact he’s pledged loyalty to America’s Lucifer. Among Democrats decrying Biden’s pardon of Hunter were Michigan Sen. Gary Peters, who said the pardon was “improper use of power,” and Washington Rep. Marie Perez, who said it was the “wrong decision.” And you wonder how Democrats managed to lose two out of three presidential elections to Trump?

A voice of reason amongst handwringers, GOP Sen. Tommy Tuberville admitted he would have pardoned his son under the same circumstances. But Tuberville lamented that Biden reversed his promise not to interfere with the court’s decision, telling the president, “Don’t lie to us.”

But as I’ll detail in a few moments, the recent line dance of pardons was a red carpet invitation for Biden to strut his stuff.

Are you upset about Hunter Biden’s pardon but OK with Kash Patel nominated for FBI Director and Pete Hegseth nominated for Secretary of Defense? Please, seek professional help. (Photos credit AP News, CNN, Al Jazeera)

Reality check

U.S. presidents can pardon anyone as it relates to federal crimes. In the case of Hunter Biden – same as others pardoned by former presidents – the conviction stands. Hunter does regain the right to vote.

Frankly, Hunter Biden’s case should never have landed in criminal court. As an analyst said on MSNBC this week, other than Hunter Biden, show me anyone who has been charged with a felony for erroneously filling out paperwork when purchasing a firearm. Or show me anyone who, when given the opportunity to pay delinquent taxes, pays the taxes and still gets taken to court. (Hunter paid up in full, including interest and penalties).

Or as President Biden alluded to in his pardon statement last Sunday, show me anyone not named Hunter Biden who, after the Department of Justice agreed to a plea deal, had the deal come apart at the urging of congressional Republicans. (After all, it was Republicans in Congress who initiated the investigation of Hunter Biden in the first place.)

The younger Biden’s crimes were non-violent and committed under the influence of drugs, including a heroin addiction. Heroin is the same illegal drug once-favored by Robert Kennedy Jr., Trump’s choice to lead Health and Human Services. RFK Jr. admits to having been addicted to heroin just like Hunter Biden was addicted to heroin.

Let’s get real. Hunter Biden would not have been investigated, charged and convicted if he was not President Biden’s son. The Hunter Biden situation called for mental health intervention, not federal criminal court intervention. Still, if Hunter’s penalty had been 1-2 years in prison, a pardon may have been off the table. But Hunter was staring at the possibility of an outlandish 25 years in prison. Every parent in America would have done what Joe Biden just did.

(Earlier this year, when President Biden again and again said he would not pardon Hunter, The Weekly Opine agreed. By acknowledging he would not interfere in the criminal process involving his son, the president was signaling to Trump and his supporters the justice system should be allowed to function without pressure, and threats of violence, coming from those under investigation and indictment.)

No one has benefitted from the line dance of pardon accommodation more than Trump. (Photos credit Jace Downs/BET, The Weekly Opine)

Pardon party

While many are ripping apart Biden for pardoning Hunter, it is worthwhile to review how the pardon floodgates opened in recent years. Specifically, the biggest beneficiary has been the 34x convicted felon Trump. The pardoning of Trump can be described as gross accommodation. Start the music…

Who can forget Nancy Pelosi issuing Trump a pardon when she foolishly said Trump was not worth impeaching? When Pelosi finally stopped dilly-dallying precious time had been wasted, and Trump escaped accountability.
Among the many feckless legislators who currently disgrace the halls of Congress, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell famously pardoned Trump – twice! First, in February 2020, when he refused to lead Republican senators to a conviction of Trump during the first impeachment trial. McConnell repeated his transgression a year later when the Senate failed to convict Trump during the second impeachment trial. Cowardly McConnell pardoned Trump saying the criminal courts should mete out justice to Trump, not the Senate.
For several years, Attorney General Merrick Garland pardoned Trump, regarding the January 6 insurrection, before belatedly assigning a special counsel to investigate Trump. Special Counsel Jack Smith recently pardoned Trump, ending the case without prejudice (meaning there is a remote possibility of pursuing Trump after he leaves office in 2029).
In what amounts to a judicial malpractice stunner, the United States Supreme Court (well, six of the nine justices), pardoned Trump by ruling the president is immune from prosecution, even when committing crimes, so long as the criminal activity is connected to performing official duties.
Standing alongside the January 6 insurrection case as the most obvious, winnable criminal case against Trump, the classified documents case was undeniable. Prosecutor’s case against Trump was ripe with photos of classified documents stacked in a bathroom at Mar-a-Lago, coupled with ironclad proof of obstruction. Yet, corrupt Judge Aileen Cannon, a Trump lackey, pardoned Trump by dismissing the case in July.
Judge Juan Merchan, rather than sentencing Trump following his hush-money case 34 felony convictions, last month again handed out a pardon in the form of a sentencing delay. Trump now skates free, whereas Michael Cohen served prison time for committing the same crimes. Now Trump is asking Merchan to dismiss the case outright, i.e., pardon Trump.

Everyone complaining about Joe Biden handing a pardon to Hunter Biden should un-bunch their undies. Biden pardoning his son is fair and much less offensive than the pardons afforded to Trump.