Jean-Pierre Snaps At Reporter Over Demand She ‘Apologize’ After Hunter Pardon
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, who had repeatedly stated during the election campaign that President Joe Biden would not pardon his son Hunter Biden, now finds herself facing tough questions following the unexpected pardon.
During the first White House press briefing after the pardon announcement on Friday, reporters pressed Jean-Pierre on the apparent reversal.
Zeke Miller, a reporter for The Associated Press, questioned her directly about her past assurances and whether she owed the public an apology.
“[The president] thought about it, and he weighed — it was not an easy decision to come to. And he put out a comprehensive, comprehensive statement,” Jean-Pierre responded. She urged people to read the president’s explanation in full.
Miller persisted, asking, “Do you, I’m asking for yourself, not the president, yourself. Do you owe an apology to the American people?”
Jean-Pierre defended her stance, saying, “The president laid out how he wrestled with this decision. He said in his statement, as a president, as a father, he talked about how difficult it was to make this decision. He thought about it this weekend. He wrestled with it. And there are some, you know, factors, some real ones that he considered.”
House Speaker Mike Johnson issued a sharp critique, accusing President Biden of undermining the justice system.
“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,” Johnson stated.
The pardon also halts Hunter Biden’s upcoming sentencing for federal gun and tax evasion charges, according to the New York Post.
In recent years, Hunter Biden admitted guilt to nine counts of evading $1.4 million in taxes and was convicted of three gun-related charges for possessing a firearm while addicted to crack cocaine.
President Biden justified the pardon by asserting that his son had been “selectively and unfairly prosecuted” and granted him a blanket pardon for offenses between January 1, 2014, and December 1, 2024. The move contradicted his earlier pledge not to pardon Hunter.
The decision drew criticism from both sides of the aisle. Colorado Governor Jared Polis voiced his disapproval on social media.
“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 were also quick to condemn the action.
“Joe Biden has lied from start to finish about his family’s corrupt influence-peddling activities,” said House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.).
“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,” Comer added on X.