The Democrat Party has moved so far to the Left that some of their own are abandoning them. They’re sick of the radicalism in the party.
And this former Leftist teams up with Trump in a move that has Democrats speechless.
In a dramatic call for balance, Sen. Joe Manchin (I-W.Va.) urged President Biden to pardon President-elect Donald Trump just a day after Biden issued a sweeping pardon to his son, Hunter Biden.
“I am just saying, wipe them out,” Manchin said during a CNN interview Monday. “Why don’t you go ahead and pardon Donald Trump for all his charges and make it, you know, it would have gone down a lot more balanced, if you will.”
The president defended his decision to pardon Hunter, 54, who was convicted earlier this year on federal gun charges and pled guilty to federal tax crimes. Biden claimed his son was being “selectively, and unfairly, prosecuted.”
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre attributed Hunter’s legal challenges to what she called “war politics.” Similarly, Trump, 78, has asserted that the four criminal cases he faces—ranging from mishandling classified documents to attempting to overturn the 2020 election—are politically motivated.
“The president has to be the president for the next four years, fighting all these criminal [cases] and all this other stuff’s coming after him,” Manchin said, emphasizing the need to “clean that slate up.”
Manchin, who plans to retire at the end of the year, argued the Hunter pardon has created a difficult legacy for Biden. The move has sparked bipartisan backlash, including from several Democrats in Congress.
Democratic Criticism of the Hunter Biden Pardon
Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) condemned Biden’s action, writing on X: “President Biden’s decision put personal interest ahead of duty and further erodes Americans’ faith that the justice system is fair and equal for all.”
Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.) called the decision “wrong,” stating, “A president’s family and allies shouldn’t get special treatment. This was an improper use of power, it erodes trust in our government, and it emboldens others to bend justice to suit their interests.”
Sen. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) labeled the move “unwise,” saying, “President Biden’s pardon of his son Hunter is, as the action of a loving father, understandable — but as the action of our nation’s Chief Executive, unwise.”
Criticism also came from House Democrats. Rep. Greg Landsman (D-Ohio) acknowledged Biden’s fatherly instincts but called the pardon “a setback” for restoring faith in public service. Rep. Glenn Ivey (D-Md.) warned that the decision could backfire politically. “This is going to be used against us when we’re fighting the misuses that are coming from the Trump administration,” he said.
Rep. Greg Stanton (D-Ariz.) outright rejected Biden’s claims of political targeting. “This wasn’t a politically motivated prosecution,” Stanton posted on X. “Hunter committed felonies and was convicted by a jury of his peers.”
Setting a Precedent
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, a potential 2028 presidential contender, expressed deep concern about the pardon’s implications. This sets a “bad precedent that could be abused by later Presidents,” he wrote. Polis argued that while Biden’s compassion for his son is understandable, his role as “Pater familias of the nation” required a different approach.
“The President made the wrong decision. No family should be above the law,” echoed Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-Wash.), who criticized the pardon as “special treatment” for the politically connected.
Even Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.), who lost his re-election bid last month, refrained from offering a detailed critique, bluntly telling reporters, “I’m about to get the f–k out of here. Ask somebody else.”
A Pardon and Its Consequences
As Biden’s pardon of Hunter reverberates through Washington, the debate over justice, fairness, and political optics remains heated.
Manchin’s suggestion to extend the same clemency to Trump may gain traction among those who believe a balance is needed, but the political fallout from this unprecedented decision is far from settled.
Stay tuned to The Federalist Wire.
