US President Joe Biden has tarnished his legacy. After repeatedly insisting he would never pardon his son, Joe Biden has done exactly that, pardoning Hunter Biden for convictions he faced for illegally buying a gun and tax evasion.
The statement from the White House stunned political observers as Biden justified his move by calling the charges against his son politically motivated. Sound familiar? That’s because this is the exact same argument President-elect Donald Trump has made for all the charges brought against him.
President Biden’s legacy was already tainted by his refusal to step away from the campaign trail earlier this year (when he eventually did, it was after much public and private wrangling by fellow Democrats). Biden had made his presidency all about defeating Donald Trump in 2020 and keeping him away from the Oval Office this time.
In the end, Trump won resoundingly, and the Democrats are struggling to find the road ahead. Among other things, being part of the Biden administration hampered Kamala Harris’ campaign. Many Democrats blame Joe Biden for not stepping aside much earlier.
Now, by pardoning his son, Joe Biden has undertaken not just a dramatic U-turn, but also undermined the justice system and rule of law. His claims about upholding democracy now ring hollow. Yes, American presidents have overarching powers when it comes to pardons but using it so brazenly shows what the misuse of power can do.
Donald Trump as President used his power to pardon close friends including his son-in-law’s father, who he has now tapped to be the next ambassador to France. Charles Kushner had served 16 months in jail for tax evasion and other charges before he was pardoned by Trump. As the saying goes, two wrongs don’t make a right.
Joe Biden’s pardon of his son is not justified. He also put his own Press Secretary on the spot. She was the one facing reporters all these months, insisting there was no way the President would pardon his son.
And it was her again fending off queries from the media earlier in the week, because Mr. Biden simply chose not to talk to the media and explain his decision in some detail. He has not done any interviews since the election fiasco.
Some Democrats have tried to make a distinction between Trump and Biden saying unlike Biden, Trump will use arms of the government and agencies for retribution, which he has publicly stated he will do.
Integrity of the justice system
They say Biden was acting like a father who had watched his son in agony for years and that Trump was very likely to go after Hunter once he became President. It is another matter that Hunter was convicted by a judicial system that examined overwhelming evidence.
Other Democrats and supporters are more scathing, describing the pardon as a selfish act, much like Biden’s decision to run for President again despite his age and health related issues.
The New York Times quotes former Obama strategist, David Axelrod, who said “as a father, I very much understand the instinct to do everything in your power to protect your children, particularly given the tragedies the Biden family has endured. But as an American, I worry that his decision, contravening months of public denials, will only add to cynicism about the integrity of the justice system.”
There were many things Biden did right such as helping the economy get back on track after COVID. But his legacy will end up being the last muddled year of his presidency and it simply does not look good.
