I Don’t Fault Joe Biden For Pardoning His Son, But He Should Also Use Those Powers For Others

President Joe Biden speaks at a ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House commemorating World AIDS Day on December 1, 2024, in Washington, D.C. | Source: Anadolu / Getty

Of all the eye-roll-inducing reactions to Joe Biden’s announcement that he would be issuing a full pardon to his son, Hunter Biden, the absolute worst takes come courtesy of Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, a Democrat who took to X to slam the president’s decision, writing, “I am disappointed that he put his family ahead of the country.”

“This is a bad precedent that could be abused by later Presidents and will sadly tarnish his reputation,” Polis argued. “When you become President, your role is Pater familias of the nation.”

Polis, as others have also gleaned, comes across as someone trying to soft-launch a future bid for the presidency in 2028 as fast as humanly possible.

However, between this statement, his recent praise of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and his pledge to work with Donald Trump in his second term on “key issues,” it’s evident that he is already being poorly advised on how to win.

Still, as cruel and asinine as Polis’ sentiment is, he is sadly not alone in that line of thinking.

There are far worse pardons to get upset about.

The former Obama staffers who host Pod Save America have described Biden’s action as “imperious” and claimed it was another instance of his “ego getting in the way.”

Columnists like The Atlantic’s Tom Nichols, echoing Polis, have alleged that “by pardoning his son, President Joe Biden has made a blunder that will deprive Democrats of an important argument heading into the chaos of the next Trump administration.”

Meanwhile, other members of Biden’s party have all publicly spoken out against the Hunter Biden pardon – joining the chorus of Republicans feigning outrage at Biden as if their incoming president isn’t currently out on bail.

They, too, are fretting over Biden effectively handing Trump a permission slip to corrupt the pardon power. As if he requires permission to do whatever regardless of whether it’s legal or ethical. Or as if the pardoning of Richard Nixon about half a century ago hadn’t already clued Americans in on how unfair and unjust the elite can be with judicial power.

And of course, there are the political reporters whose beat is to highlight every instance of hypocrisy, reminding us that Biden said back in June that he wouldn’t pardon his son.

Perhaps it’s my cynicism speaking, but an American president breaking a previous pledge is as about as newsworthy as the typical color of the sky above.

It should not be all that difficult for Biden’s critics to understand his rationale for the position switch, but his close friend, U.S. Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware, did offer an explainer to CNN.

“I think what changed was that President-elect Trump put people in place who made it clear that they intended to go after, not just anybody, but in their campaign activity, had talked about going after Hunter Biden directly,” Coons explained.

Former attorney general Eric Holder put it more succinctly in a direct response to Polis’ post: “Look at the underlying facts and usual DOJ practice Governor.”

There are far worse pardons to get upset about. Say, Jimmy Carter pardoning that dead confederate Jefferson Davis or child rapist Peter Yarrow.

Note that most of the people barking the loudest about Joe Biden pardoning Hunter Biden have little to say about the other injustices of the American legal system – something the brilliant civil rights lawyer and law professor Sherrilyn Ifill mused in response to the criticisms.

I need for Biden’s critics to grow up and find more significant issues to complain about. In America, there are plenty.

The idea that it is noble for a parent to hand over their child to those who have pledged to target him for one’s political party to win an argument points to a level of depravity and dimness that I pray is not contagious by consumption.

If I were Biden, I wouldn’t give a damn about what Republicans have to say given they have no leg to stand on based on their use of pardon and clemency powers in decades past.

Some people feel this all makes for terrible politics, but when a father sees his son endure politically motivated prosecutions and face legal repercussions more severe than sentencing for such crimes usually render, why wouldn’t he protect his son?

I can understand those citing Joe Biden’s ego when it comes to him running for a second term and not properly setting up his vice president for success, but not for shielding Hunter.

The only critique for Biden that warrants any real consideration has come from justice advocates, who have justifiably been critical of Biden’s historically low pardon and commutation record.

Although this time last year Biden did pardon thousands of people who were convicted of the use and simple possession of marijuana on federal lands and in the District of Columbia (in addition to releasing thousands before that via the CARES Act), when he ran for president in 2020, Biden made promises to reform the criminal justice system that remain unfulfilled.

That is why so many legal scholars, professors, lawyers and others have called on him in the last days of his term to grant more pardons, clemencies, and commutations.

There are tens of thousands of people languishing in prison over nonviolent drug offenses. They don’t have Hunter Biden’s legal team. They don’t have a direct line to the president of the United States.

To be clear, I believe Biden’s legacy will be tainted by what’s happened in Gaza and his refusal to step aside sooner. There’s very little he could do at this moment to change any of that.

But this president can make a difference in the lives of those aforementioned nonviolent drug offenders and others before his time in the Oval Office runs out, if he chooses to. All he has to do is tune out his critics and extend the same grace to them that he did for his son before it’s too late.

Michael Arceneaux is a New York Times bestselling author whose most recent book, “I Finally Bought Some Jordans,” was published in March.

SEE ALSO:

Hunter Biden Pardon Sparks Mega MAGA Meltdown Despite Trump Enjoying Immunity For His Own Crimes

Trump-Appointed Judge Unhappy About Possible Jan. 6 Pardons, Calls It ‘Frustrating And Disappointing’

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