WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden pardoned his son, Hunter, on Sunday night, sparing the younger Biden a possible prison sentence for federal felony gun and tax convictions and reversing his past promises not to use the extraordinary powers of the presidency for the benefit of his family.
The Democratic president had previously said he would not pardon his son or commute his sentence after convictions in the two cases in Delaware and California. The move comes weeks before Hunter Biden was set to receive his punishment after his trial conviction in the gun case and guilty plea on tax charges, and less than two months before President-elect Donald Trump is set to return to the White House.
Biden, who time and again pledged to Americans that he would restore norms and respect for the rule of law after Trump’s first term in office, ultimately used his position to help his son, breaking his public pledge to Americans that he would do no such thing.
Off-topic, …with almost everybody having a cell phone in hands why do we still elect anybody to represent us? It’s because that’s how it always been?
Because it’s hard for a committee of 334,000,000 to make decisions? Maybe I’m misunderstanding your question though. Are you suggesting more of a bottom-up, local-first way of running things? I think there would still have to be representatives at various levels, for the same reason.
Centralized power doesn’t let go without force
Legislation is still pretty complicated, having professional legislators makes sense just as a technical profession.
We could certainly stand to have more direct input though!
We don’t build bridges by committee, why would politics be better?
It’s a specific skill set to understand legalese and the processes
TBF I don’t think a system of thousands of referendums would be much better. What I take bigger issue with is the electoral college, but I don’t have a good solution in mind. Popular vote wouldn’t be much better, especially because of how it would affect campaigning.
I can’t believe a PRESIDENT would LIE like that!
-Fox, probably
In all fairness, I doubt he remembers making that promise in the first place.
So what? Half you all voted for a felon rapist. Don’t pretend you have morals.
What you’re exercising here is called whataboutism, and it’s a really shitty thing to do.
So is sexual assault, and the next president has done that too
And the current president molested his own daughter. She wrote in her diary that she had to wait til he went to sleep to shower, or he’d get in with her.
Ok, and? How does that have any bearing on what Biden did?
The author of the crime bill, responsible for the massive incarceration and enslavement of poor people in the US who spoke to congress about not giving a single shit about the circumstances of people who committed crimes, lock em up first ask questions later, just pardoned his son before sentencing because he’s a poor widdle misunderstood boi who didn’t know any better and his circumstances were so tough, what with having a senator dad with a lot of money.
Fucking blue MAGA I stg
Biden, who time and again pledged to Americans that he would restore norms and respect for the rule of law after Trump’s first term in office, ultimately used his position to help his son, breaking his public pledge to Americans that he would do no such thing.
…after Americans voted that norms and respect for the rule of law don’t mean shit. Fuck 'em, I would have done the same thing.
Honestly, at this point, what do those pledges even matter? Integrity is not worth much in politics nowadays. People will just vote whomever makes the bigger promises.
Biden is proving he is willing to violate the norms to bail out their criminal family. But not use those powers for the average American.
It is certainly impressive Democrats are willing to waive this away as a minor thing. Wasn’t their entire point that they are not the fascistic party but committed to law and order?
No, the Republicans are the self proclaimed Law & Order party.
I love how pearls get clutched when a Dem does it. Where were you the last 8 years?
The republicans have been getting stuff done by abusing their presidential powers. Democrats were the supposed “law and order party”. who “didn’t want to abuse their powers”. Throwback to Obama doing nothing because “law and order”
Republicans have been pulling these blatant violations for ages. Trump pardoned Blackwater criminals on his way out.
Supposedly however Biden couldn’t load the courts or achieve anything because “norms and values”.
Democrats achieved nothing and at the end took a steaming dump on those values they used as the excuse for doing nothing
Now say that again for everything trump has done and I might actually believe you have any actual sense of reality.
But Trump. The only response.
And a 100% valid one that you are being willingly obtuse towards. Open your eyes and see that although all politicians have and always will suck and lie, Trump is a traitor. I would elect any non-MAGA Republican for 8 years over Trump for four more. He is not a legitimate politician
Pointing out that republicans do this means you are comparing Biden to republicans and saying it is acceptable for democrats as well because of this. This blatant abuse of power means Biden is now a MAGA-democrat. And you are willing to elect MAGA-democrats.
The people defending Biden know this is bullshit. They just want to believe this is a sign that Democrats are finally going to stop complaining about decorum and play hardball. It isn’t, and they won’t, but at least Joe gets to protect his kid I guess. Too bad Joe couldn’t find the will to force Garland to do his job and prosecute Trump instead.
Sycophant.
You’re out here going “Ra Ra Biden, Trump does worse” all over the fucking thread calling others sycophants? Lmao
“All over this thread…”? Two comments and I really got under your skin. You deliberately avoid understanding me or my position, are devoid of nuance, and just make shit up to suit your narrative.
Fuck off back to your troll farm.
Everyone I don’t like is a bot, the sycophants guide to political discussion
and? Nothing he could have done would have made you support him so why in the everloving fuck should they care that you disapprove?
I read over Biden’s statement, and it makes sense to me. Hunter was singled out for political purposes. It would seem weird if Biden didn’t issue the pardon.
Lame duck don’t give a fuck.
I feel so betrayed rn… how could Dark Brandon do this?
And democrats will really stare at me, holding their hands and wringing their wrists over “but why didn’t you vote for our corrupt-assed party”
Damnit Joe! You could have at least waited for the December 16 sentencing. As a first time offender he might have gotten off with a slap on the wrist (depending on the judge) and you wouldn’t look like such a hypocrite for letting him just be sentenced. By acting preemptively, you’re just sending the signal that it doesn’t matter what crimes were committed, he won’t be held accountable. If you’re going to stand on principle for four years, doing nothing to ensure Trump faces consequences, why throw it away at the very end. What a clusterfuck our political system has become.
American voters threw it all away and said that ethics don’t mean shit. He acted accordingly. Fair enough.
I could give a damn, but you know, it’s an overall race to the bottom
Reading this I just realised I can no longer tell if Americans mean could or couldn’t when they type could.
I couldn’t tell you why
Not world news. It’s an internal matter of the US.
True. Further, being from the rest of the world, I really couldn’t care less and would likely do similar as Biden. The US people have dropped the ball, fucked the country and sent him packing.
May as well, you’ve got nothing to lose at that point.
Insert shocked Pikachu meme
The US is part of the world.
My wife read this to me last night.
Wife: So apparently Biden pardoned his son
Me: Cool. Can’t blame him.
Wife: Of course people are say…
Me: Fuck ‘em.
Wife: You know because he promised…
Me: Fuck ‘em.
Hell yea brother’ president is above the law!
Another banger from the party of checks and balances.
They were TRUMPed up charges anyway.
