White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre defended it on Monday President Joe Biden’s decision to pardon his sonHunter Biden, despite repeatedly telling the press that the president has no such plan.
“He said this weekend that he came to this decision and fought it and because he believed in the justice system, but also because he believed that crude politics had permeated the process and caused a miscarriage of justice,” Jean-Pierre told reporters aboard Air Force One en route to Angola.
He added, “Hunter was elected and his last name was Biden because he was the president’s son. We saw that. So the president believed enough was enough and the president acted and he believes they tried to break his son to break him.”
The president’s only surviving son was Hunter Biden pleaded guilty to federal weapons charges in June and He also pleaded guilty to tax evasion in September.
Jean-Pierre was asked by reporters in September whether the guilty plea meant Biden would not pardon his son.
“It’s not—not yet,” he said.
During a Nov. 7 White House press briefing, Jean-Pierre Biden again dismissed a question about whether he planned to pardon his son.
“We have been asked this question many times. Our answer is definitely no,” he said.
Questions about If Biden pardoned his son has been spinning since last year. Before the jury returned its verdict in June, Biden said he would accept his decision and not exercise the power of the presidency if convicted. A few days later, the president told the press he would not commute his son’s sentence in the gun case either.
Biden’s claims came earlier in the year before he dropped out of the 2024 presidential race.
On Sunday, the president issued a full and unconditional pardon for Hunter Biden “for any crimes he committed or committed or participated in between January 1, 2014 and December 1, 2024,” according to a White House statement.
In a statement explaining his decision, Biden said: “I believe in the justice system, but in fighting it, I also believe that crude politics have infected the process and it has led to a miscarriage of justice – and I made that decision once. I will do so again this weekend.” there was no point in delaying it, I hope the American people will understand why a father and a president came to this decision.”
Asked about the pardon Monday, first lady Jill Biden said, “Of course I support my son’s pardon.”
Sarah Dean and Annemarie Bonner contributed.