‘Irreparably Damaged’: Mike Johnson Rips Biden For Pardoning Hunter
House Speaker Mike Johnson has accused President Joe Biden of causing “irreparable” damage to the American legal system by issuing a blanket pardon to his son, Hunter Biden.
“President Biden insisted many times he would never pardon his own son for his serious crimes. But last night he suddenly granted a ‘Full and Unconditional Pardon’ for any and all offenses that Hunter committed for more than a decade! Trust in our justice system has been almost irreparably damaged by the Bidens and their use and abuse of it. Real reform cannot begin soon enough!” Johnson said in a Monday statement.
The New York Post reported that Hunter Biden, 54, is no longer facing sentencing for federal gun and tax evasion charges that had been scheduled for later this month. In September, Hunter had pleaded guilty to nine counts of evading $1.4 million in taxes and, in June, was convicted of three federal charges related to possessing a firearm while addicted to crack cocaine.
Defending his decision, President Biden claimed on Sunday that his son was “selectively and unfairly prosecuted” and issued a comprehensive pardon for any offenses committed between January 1, 2014, and December 1, 2024. Biden had previously vowed not to pardon Hunter.
Criticism of the move has emerged from both Democrats and Republicans. Colorado Governor Jared Polis criticized the decision as a case of prioritizing personal interests over national responsibility.
“While as a father I certainly understand President @JoeBiden’s natural desire to help his son by pardoning him, I am disappointed that he put his family ahead of the country,” Polis wrote on the X platform. “This is a bad precedent that could be abused by later Presidents and will sadly tarnish his reputation.”
Republicans also intensified their attacks. House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.), who has spearheaded investigations into alleged Biden family misconduct, took to X to express his frustration.
“Joe Biden has lied from start to finish about his family’s corrupt influence peddling activities,” Comer wrote. “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.
“The charges Hunter faced were just the tip of the iceberg in the blatant corruption that President Biden and the Biden Crime Family have lied about to the American people. 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,” he added.
Veteran Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), who served alongside Biden for decades, also expressed disappointment.
“‘I’m shocked Pres Biden pardoned his son Hunter bc he said many many times he wouldn’t & I believed him Shame on me,” Grassley posted.
In a parallel development, President-elect Donald Trump has promised sweeping reforms to the “Democrat-controlled” Department of Justice and mass pardons for individuals involved in the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot.
Trump made these remarks just over an hour after President Biden’s controversial pardon of Hunter Biden.
“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 posted on Truth Social.
Many individuals arrested in connection with the January 6 events have been detained without bond and remain without court dates nearly four years later, raising concerns about potential violations of the Sixth Amendment’s guarantee of a speedy trial.
Trump, who reclaimed the presidency last month, had announced during his campaign his intent to pardon more than 1,500 individuals connected to the Capitol riot, including both those awaiting trial and those already convicted. His statement coincided with Congress’s certification of Biden’s 2020 election victory.