Joe Biden isn’t going out quietly. He’s trying to inflict as much damage as possible before he leaves the White House for good.
And Trump takes the gloves off after Biden made this stunning announcement.
President-elect Donald Trump suggested he may issue sweeping pardons for individuals linked to the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot. His remarks came just over an hour after President Joe Biden granted a broad pardon to his son Hunter Biden on Sunday night.
“Does the Pardon given by Joe to Hunter include the J-6 Hostages, who have now been imprisoned for years? Such an abuse and miscarriage of Justice!” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
The statement signaled a continuation of Trump’s campaign pledge to address what he claims is a politically motivated justice system.
During his campaign, Trump floated the possibility of pardons for over 1,500 defendants still facing trials or already convicted for their roles in the Capitol breach as lawmakers were certifying Biden’s 2020 victory.
In a separate announcement, Trump’s transition team released a statement sharply criticizing the Department of Justice.
“The failed witch hunts against President Trump have proven that the Democrat-controlled DOJ and other radical prosecutors are guilty of weaponizing the justice system,” said Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung.
“That system of justice must be fixed and due process must be restored for all Americans, which is exactly what President Trump will do as he returns to the White House with an overwhelming mandate from the American people.”
Biden’s decision to pardon his son marked a dramatic shift from his earlier stance. Hunter Biden had been facing sentencing for federal gun charges and tax evasion later this month. In September, he pleaded guilty to nine counts related to evading $1.4 million in taxes and was convicted in June of possessing a firearm while addicted to crack cocaine.
The pardon covers all potential offenses committed by Hunter between January 1, 2014, and December 1, 2024. Biden justified his decision by claiming his son had been “selectively, and unfairly, prosecuted.”
“There has been an effort to break Hunter — who has been five and a half years sober, even in the face of unrelenting attacks and selective prosecution. In trying to break Hunter, they’ve tried to break me — and there’s no reason to believe it will stop here. Enough is enough,” Biden said in a Sunday night statement.
This reversal sparked outrage, particularly among Republicans. Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) expressed disbelief.
“I’m shocked Pres Biden pardoned his son Hunter bc he said many many times he wouldn’t & I believed him,” Grassley said in a post on X. “Shame on me.”
House Republicans, who have been investigating allegations of corruption involving the Biden family, also condemned the move.
“Joe Biden has lied from start to finish about his family’s corrupt influence-peddling activities,” Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) stated. “Not only has he falsely claimed that he never met with his son’s foreign business associates and that his son did nothing wrong, but he also lied when he said he would not pardon Hunter Biden.”
Comer described the charges against Hunter as “just the tip of the iceberg,” accusing the president of obstructing investigations into the Biden family’s alleged influence-peddling scheme.
“It’s unfortunate that, rather than come clean about their decades of wrongdoing, President Biden and his family continue to do everything they can to avoid accountability,” Comer said.
Trump’s comments and Biden’s actions set the stage for a contentious political battle over justice and accountability. And Republicans are going to do everything they can to help Trump win this battle.
Stay tuned to The Federalist Wire.
