Trump Makes Huge Announcement After Biden Pardons His Son Hunter
President-elect Donald Trump vowed to overhaul the “Democrat-controlled” Department of Justice while hinting at plans to issue widespread pardons for those involved in the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021.
Trump made these remarks just over an hour after President Joe Biden granted a pardon to his son Hunter 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 posted on Truth Social.
Trump’s statement highlights an ongoing concern. Many individuals arrested nearly four years ago on various charges related to the January 6 events remain detained without bond and have yet to face court proceedings, raising questions about violations of the Sixth Amendment’s guarantee of a speedy trial.
During his campaign, Trump—who regained the White House last month—pledged to pardon over 1,500 individuals tied to the Capitol riot, including those currently awaiting trial and those already convicted. This announcement came as Congress was certifying Biden’s 2020 election victory over Trump.
Although he did not directly address Biden or his son, Trump’s transition team released a statement criticizing the Department of Justice and pledging to reform the agency.
“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,” Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung stated. “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.”
The New York Post reported that Hunter Biden, 54, will no longer face sentencing in two federal cases—one involving weapons charges and the other tax evasion—originally scheduled for later this month.
Hunter was convicted in June on three federal firearms charges for possessing a handgun while using crack cocaine. In September, he pleaded guilty to nine tax-related offenses totaling $1.4 million in unpaid taxes.
On Sunday, Joe Biden issued a full pardon covering all offenses committed by Hunter between January 1, 2014, and December 1, 2024, despite earlier pledging not to pardon his son. Biden defended his decision, accusing prosecutors of targeting Hunter unfairly and selectively.
However, several Democrats criticized the president’s move.
Colorado Governor Jared Polis condemned the pardon, accusing Biden of prioritizing “family ahead of the country.”
“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 posted on X. “This is a bad precedent that could be abused by later Presidents and will sadly tarnish his reputation.”
Republicans also weighed in strongly.
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.), whose investigations over the past two years unearthed substantial evidence against the Biden family, wrote on X: “Joe Biden has lied from start to finish about his family’s corrupt influence peddling activities.”
He continued, “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.”
Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), who served alongside Biden for decades in the Senate, also expressed disapproval.
“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 remarked.