KJP Responds to Hunter Biden Pardon Criticism from Former Biden Aide
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre faced challenging questions on Thursday as she addressed sharp criticism of President Joe Biden’s decision to pardon his son, Hunter Biden. The criticism came from none other than Anita Dunn, a former senior aide to Biden, whose role in his administration was so pivotal that she served during two separate tenures.
According to the Daily Mail, Dunn, who was Biden’s first senior aide to depart after his transition to Kamala Harris, voiced her disapproval of the pardon at a post-election summit.
This created a tense moment for Jean-Pierre as she defended the president’s decision, coinciding with Biden’s announcement of pardons for 39 individuals and the commutation of sentences for 1,500 non-violent offenders, including several convicted of fraud.
“I absolutely agree with the president’s decision here. I do not agree with the way it was done,” Dunn remarked during a New York Times/DealBook event that aired online on Wednesday.
“I don’t agree with the timing, and I don’t agree frankly with the attack on our judicial system,” she added. “Had this pardon been done at the end of the term in the context of compassion, the way many pardons and commutations are issued, I believe it would have been a different story.”
Dunn further criticized the strategic timing of the decision, arguing it interfered with Democratic efforts to scrutinize President-elect Donald Trump’s FBI nominee, Kash Patel. Patel, known for his promises to dismantle the so-called "deep state," has drawn attention with an enemies list featured in his book.
“In the midst of a Kash Patel weekend, throwing this into the mix was exceptionally poor timing,” Dunn said. She added that the situation raised concerns among observers about “a president who ran to restore the rule of law” appearing to falter on that commitment.
Critics have also accused Biden of leveraging the justice system against political adversaries of both himself and the Democratic Party.
Jean-Pierre addressed Dunn’s remarks during her briefing, stating, “I will respond in this way: She also agreed that Hunter Biden, and I quote, absolutely deserves a pardon. So she supported that action.” Jean-Pierre then highlighted Biden’s broader pardoning efforts, emphasizing his role in “providing the most individual commutations, and I think that matters.”
The controversy arose as Biden granted Hunter Biden a sweeping pardon for tax and firearm-related offenses. The decision, made just before Biden departed for Africa, also covered any actions dating back 11 years to 2014—around the time Hunter Biden’s “business” dealings in Ukraine began.
Former President Trump wasted no time leveraging the decision to bolster his call for pardoning individuals involved in the events of January 6. Trump has pledged to review each case personally and issue pardons shortly after assuming office, should he win.
During the White House briefing, Jean-Pierre faced additional questions about Biden’s pardons, including whether “preemptive pardons” might be issued for figures Trump considers political opponents, such as Hillary Clinton and former Representative Liz Cheney.
In a separate interview with Time magazine, Trump reiterated that any January 6 pardons would be reserved for “nonviolent” offenders.
“We’re going to do it very quickly, and it’s going to start in the first hour that I get into office. A vast majority should not be in jail, and they’ve suffered gravely,” Trump said.
These remarks came during a Nov. 25 interview as part of Trump’s selection as Time magazine’s “Person of the Year.”