MSNBC host and former White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki previously claimed in June that President Biden would not pardon his son because he believed in the American justice system.
“His decision not to pardon his son is not an expression of restraint or removal in any way from what his son has gone through and is continuing to go through, but of principle,” Psaki said on June 16, the same week his son was convicted on federal gun charges and his father reiterated he would not pardon him.
However, on Sunday, Biden announced that he would in fact pardon his son just weeks before he leaves office in January, a complete reversal of his earlier pledge.
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“Because the justice system that convicted his only surviving son is the same justice system he vowed to protect,” Psaki continued in the June segment. “If that doesn’t tell you who Joe Biden is, I don’t really know what does.”
“Joe Biden’s character as a public servant is what drove him to make clear that the law applies to everyone,” Psaki said of Biden.
President Biden had stated multiple times that he would not pardon Hunter and that he would respect the outcome of the legal process concerning his son.
“I am extremely proud of my son Hunter,” Biden said in a speech shared on Psaki’s show. “He’s one of the brightest, most decent men I know. I abide by the jury decision. I will do that, and I will not pardon him.”
Hunter Biden was convicted in two separate federal cases earlier this year.
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Psaki argued in June that Biden’s strength of character is clear in how he treats his family members.
“I mean, Joe Biden is a person who answers his phone every time any of his grandchildren call,” Psaki said. “Anytime, doesn’t matter what’s going on.”
Hunter Biden pleaded guilty to federal tax charges in September, which spared him from a public trial over his failure to pay taxes while he spent lavishly on drugs, escorts, luxury hotel stays, clothing and other personal items.
The first son was convicted of three felony gun charges in June after lying on a mandatory gun purchase form by saying he was not illegally using or addicted to drugs.
Since the pardon news broke, President Biden’s backers in the liberal media have alternated between criticizing his broken promise and defending him for not subjecting his son to the wrath of the incoming Trump administration’s Justice Department.
Fox News’ Greg Wehner and Alex Nitzberg contributed to this report.
