White House Breaks Silence on Potential Hunter Pardon Amid Indictment
(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) In a long-awaited response, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre addressed concerns regarding the potential pardon of Hunter Biden, the president’s son, who was indicted on federal gun charges.
During a press briefing on Friday, one reporter posed the question that has been on many minds: “Will the president pardon or commute his son if he is convicted?” Jean-Pierre, who had previously been questioned about this in July, responded “no.”
She explained, “So. I’ve answered this question before. It was asked of me not too long ago — a couple of weeks ago — and I was very clear, and I said ‘no.’”
In July, when asked by Fox News reporter Mark Meredith about the possibility of a presidential pardon for Hunter Biden, Jean-Pierre’s response was the same: “No.”
“Would the president pardon or commute [the sentence of] his son if he’s convicted?”
KARINE JEAN-PIERRE: “No” pic.twitter.com/3TJxAi90fI
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) September 15, 2023
The discussion surrounding a potential pardon for Hunter gained traction earlier this year when prominent author Miranda Devine suggested that Biden might be preparing the public for such a move.
Devine argued that the president was cultivating public sympathy by playing on his image as a family-oriented, empathetic figure who has endured personal tragedies.
“‘Hunter was a drug addict and Joe just loves his family, and he’s been through enough tragedy in his life,” Devine stated, speculating that this narrative could be used by Democrats to justify a pardon.
Hunter’s indictment on federal gun charges last Thursday marked a significant development in his legal troubles. He allegedly falsified information related to his drug addiction in an application for a gun permit.
This indictment is particularly notable as it is the first set of charges to emerge since David Weiss, formerly the U.S. district attorney, was appointed special counsel by Attorney General Merrick Garland.
The continuous legal dispute has reportedly left Biden in a state of distress and frustration, compounded by a damning impeachment inquiry led by House Republicans.