Why Biden’s pardon of Hunter is one of the most disgraceful in history
President Biden’s decision to use his presidential powers on Sunday to pardon his own son will be a decision that lives in infamy in presidential politics. It is not just that the president used his constitutional powers to benefit his family. It is because the action culminates years of lying to the public about his knowledge and intentions in the influence-peddling scandal surrounding his family. Even among past controversies about the use of this pardon power, Biden has cemented his legacy for many, not as the commander in chief, but as the liar in chief.
Despite its noble origins and purpose, the pardon power historically has not been a pristine power used by past presidents. As I have previously written, it was used to benefit the political cronies of past presidents. President Warren Harding was even accused of selling pardons, including to mob enforcer Ignacio Lupo, known as “Lupo the Wolf.” Former President Bill Clinton waited for the final days of his presidency to pardon his own brother as well as a major Democratic donor. Trump also pardoned Charles Kushner, the father of his son-in-law, Jared Kushner. (Charles Kushner was also recently named as Trump’s choice of envoy to France.)
In 2023, I wrote that Biden might follow this same pattern and pardon his son as a lame-duck president. The column suggested that Biden might withdraw as a candidate for office and then take action as a father: “The pardon-and-apology approach might appeal to Biden not only as an effort to convert vice into virtue but to justify his withdrawal from the election as a selfless act.”
REPUBLICANS HAMMER BIDEN’S ‘NO ONE IS ABOVE THE LAW’ CLAIM FOLLOWING HUNTER PARDON: ‘AGED LIKE FINE MILK’
In the 2020 election and throughout his presidential term, Biden repeatedly lied to the American public with an ease and impunity that shocked even many political veterans in Washington. He was repeatedly asked if he knew about Hunter’s foreign dealings, including millions in alleged deals with Russians, Ukrainians, Chinese and other clients. President Biden lied and denied such knowledge. As I detailed in my testimony in the Biden impeachment hearing, he had repeated discussions of these dealings. He is even on tape discussing news stories on the dealings.
President Biden was also repeatedly asked if he met any of his son’s clients. He repeatedly lied. We have pictures and records of dinners and meetings with these clients. Hunter Biden was expressly thanked for his arranging such access to his father.
Few reporters pressed Biden on the corruption scandal, but they were often met not only with denials but angry retorts from the president. When Fox reporter Peter Doocy raised it, the president steamed, “Yes, yes, yes. God love you, man — you’re a one-horse pony, I tell you.”
When CBS’ Bo Erickson broke ranks and raised the scandal, Biden replied, “I knew you’d ask it. I have no response, it’s another smear campaign, right up your alley, those are the questions you always ask.”
The president continued to lie throughout the election, the presidential debates and his term.
Then, the press repeatedly asked him whether he would pardon his son. The president was now running for re-election and again lied. He and the White House said over and over again that no such pardon would occur and was not being contemplated. That was also a lie. NBC is reporting that, while issuing these denials last June, there were already discussions about the pardon.
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The pardon power was written in absolute terms, and a president can even, in my view, pardon himself. However, what is constitutional is not necessarily ethical or right. This is one of the most disgraceful pardons even in the checkered history of presidential pardons. President Biden has lied to cover up a corruption scandal that reportedly brought his family millions in raw influence peddling. His portrayal of his son as a victim stands in sharp contrast to the sense of immunity and power conveyed by Hunter in his dealings.
There were diamonds as gifts, lavish expense accounts and a sports car, in addition to massive payments that Hunter claimed were “loans.”
There are messages where Hunter belies the president’s portrayal of a political witch hunt, including messages like the one to a Chinese businessman openly threatening the displeasure of Joe Biden if money is not sent to them immediately. In the WhatsApp message, Hunter stated:
“I am sitting here with my father, and we would like to understand why the commitment made has not been fulfilled. Tell the director that I would like to resolve this now before it gets out of hand, and now means tonight. And, Z, if I get a call or text from anyone involved in this other than you, Zhang, or the Chairman, I will make certain that between the man sitting next to me and every person he knows and my ability to forever hold a grudge that you will regret not following my direction. I am sitting here waiting for the call with my father.”
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The president has now pardoned Hunter for his convicted felonies and any crimes he may have committed from “Jan. 1, 2014, to Dec. 1, 2024.”
It is all now being buried under a sweeping pardon and a pack of presidential lies.
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Liberal MSNBC commentator left speechless over Hunter Biden pardon
Liberal MSNBC contributor Molly Jong-Fast was speechless on Sunday after hearing that President Biden would pardon his son Hunter Biden, admitting she had no response and needed time to “process” the news.
“I just want to alert you all to some breaking news that we’re getting. NBC is reporting that President Biden is expected to pardon his son, Hunter Biden,” MSNBC guest host Melissa Murray said during a discussion. “According to NBC News, the president made the decision this weekend. Molly, fast and furious, what do you make of this new news?”
“I, so, I just heard it. I have to process it. I don’t have a take. I’m sorry,” Jong-Fast responded.
Hunter Biden was first found guilty in June on three felony charges for federal gun violations and pleaded guilty in September in a separate felony tax case. President Biden had pledged earlier this year he would not pardon his son, and he received numerous plaudits from liberal media members for his great respect for the integrity of the justice system.
BIDEN WON’T PARDON HUNTER, WHITE HOUSE REAFFIRMS, BUT CRITICS AREN’T SO SURE
In reversing his earlier promise, President Biden suggested his son’s prosecution had been unfairly conducted because of his famous name.
“Today, I signed a pardon for my son Hunter,” Biden said in a statement. “From the day I took office, I said I would not interfere with the Justice Department’s decision-making, and I kept my word even as I have watched my son being selectively, and unfairly, prosecuted.”
Michelle Goldberg, a liberal New York Times columnist, said during the MSNBC discussion that Hunter Biden was treated unfairly.
“Joe Biden bent over backwards not to intervene in order to show, you know, sort of how much of a respecter of norms he was, unlike Donald Trump,” she said. “But you know, we see kind of what that got him. And I certainly understand why [he] would not want to forfeit the future and life of his son to uphold a set of norms that are about to go up in smoke.”
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Hunter Biden said in a statement after he was pardoned that he had taken responsibility for his actions, alluding to his well-publicized drug addiction and scandalous past.
“I have admitted and taken responsibility for my mistakes during the darkest days of my addiction — mistakes that have been exploited to publicly humiliate and shame me and my family for political sport,” he said in a statement to Fox News. “Despite all of this, I have maintained my sobriety for more than five years because of my deep faith and the unwavering love and support of my family and friends.”
Both President Biden and his chief spokesperson had repeatedly said he would not pardon his son.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre most recently said it last month after President-elect Trump was declared the winner over Vice President Kamala Harris.
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“We’ve been asked that question multiple times. Our answer stands, which is no,” she told reporters.
Hunter Biden had been scheduled to be sentenced next week for his conviction on federal gun charges, as well as sentenced on Dec. 16 on a separate guilty plea for federal tax evasion, NBC News reported.
MSNBC internal drama appears to spill out in the open, analyst says he’s going to get ‘in trouble’
Former lawmaker and MSNBC analyst David Jolly appeared to take a shot at MSNBC hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski on Friday while talking about how Democrats should move forward.
“We didn’t wake up after the election and think, I’m upset because I was wrong. We’re upset because we know we’re right, but we’re on the losing side of this battle. And so what does that mean for a responsible media, for a responsible electorate, for a responsible Democratic Party in this environment?” Jolly began. “Don’t just say we’re going to give equity to Donald Trump, which some people are doing in the Democratic Party, in media, among the electorate.”
Brzezinski and Scarborough revealed to their viewers that the pair met with President-elect Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago in the weeks following his win.
“No, that’s absolutely wrong. You can’t do that. Forgive me for saying this. You can’t go to Mar-a-Lago. You can’t do it. That’s going to get me in trouble. You can’t do that. You have to hold Donald Trump accountable for being wrong. You have to hold all of his allies accountable for being wrong, even if that means you’re in a losing environment and you’re threatening your own liberty and your own security as an American,” Jolly said.
LIBERALS RAGE AGAINST ‘MORNING JOE’ ‘BETRAYAL’ AFTER CO-HOSTS MEET WITH TRUMP: ‘WE WILL NOT FORGIVE’
Scarborough and Brzezinski said during the show that it was time to start engaging with Trump.
“But for nearly 80 million Americans, election denialism, public trials, January 6, were not as important as the issues that moved them to send Donald Trump back to the White House with their vote. Joe and I realize it’s time to do something different, and that starts with not only talking about Donald Trump, but also talking with him,” Brzezinski said.
Brzezinski and Scarborough have been some of Trump’s biggest critics in media in the last few years. Trump said after the meeting that it went well.
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Brzezinski said she was surprised by the backlash to their meeting during a podcast interview.
“I’ve been surprised at the backlash, and the way I look at it is, people are really scared,” she said on “The Daily Beast Podcast.” “It’s one of the reasons we went in there, is people are really scared about Donald Trump’s comments about political adversaries, a lot of people are scared because of what has happened with abortion. These are all issues that are important to me and in some ways personal to me, but definitely personal to the people I really care about.”
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Jolly encouraged Democrats to “double down” in holding Trump accountable.
“The only answer is to double down in holding Donald Trump and his allies accountable and double down on trying to present a democracy that represents all people, even in a losing environment,” he said.
Liberal governor wants to make his state ‘Trump-proof’ — and guess who’s paying?
California Gov. Gavin Newsom will convene the state legislature for a special emergency session Monday to propose a “Trump-proof” legal defense fund of up to $25 million for the state’s justice department.
Newsom said in a statement the Golden State “is a tent pole of the country … protecting and investing in rights and freedoms for all people” and that officials “will work with the incoming administration and we want President Trump to succeed in serving all Americans.”
“But when there is overreach, when lives are threatened, when rights and freedoms are targeted, we will take action,” Newsom said. “And that is exactly what this special session is about – setting this state up for success, regardless of who is in the White House.”
PROPOSITION 36 OVERWHELMINGLY PASSES IN CALIFORNIA, REVERSING SOME SOROS-BACKED SOFT-ON-CRIME POLICIES
State lawmakers, who are majority Democratic, are expected to introduce the proposed legislation in the coming weeks. Officials anticipate the legislation will be signed into law before Inauguration Day on Jan. 20.
“It’s not a resistance brand,” Newsom told the Los Angeles Times on Sunday. “It’s around pragmatism. It’s about preparedness. We would be fools not to get on top of this before January.”
Between 2017 and 2021, California’s Department of Justice led 122 lawsuits against Trump administration policies, spending $42 million on litigation. Newsom’s office said in one case, the federal government was ordered to reimburse California nearly $60 million in public safety grants.
While California filed over 100 lawsuits against the Trump administration, President-elect Donald Trump lobbed only four major lawsuits against the state. In 2018, Trump’s DOJ filed a lawsuit over three California sanctuary state laws that restricted cooperation with federal immigration enforcement. That same year, Trump sued California for its state-level net neutrality law.
TRUMP PLANNING TO LIFT BIDEN’S LNG PAUSE, INCREASE OIL DRILLING DURING 1ST DAYS IN OFFICE: REPORT
In 2019, Trump also filed a lawsuit against California’s vehicle emissions standards, attempting to revoke California’s ability to set its own emissions rules. The Trump administration also sued California over its controversial independent contractor law, AB 5, in 2020.
California, a sanctuary state for illegal immigrants, abortion procedures and transgender transition treatments for children, could be targeted by the Trump administration, especially considering Trump’s mass deportation plan of illegal immigrants.
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Meanwhile, Republican state Sen. Brian Jones, who serves as the upper chamber’s minority leader, said last month the special session “is clearly just another political stunt” and a “desperate attempt to distract from Democrats’ significant losses across California on Tuesday — in the state Senate, state Assembly, U.S. House, and on key ballot measures, including Prop 5’s defeat and Prop 36’s overwhelming win.”
“Californians have made it clear: affordability is their top concern,” Jones said. “Yet, even with the massive deficit he created, Gov. Newsom wants to hand his attorney general a blank check to wage endless battles against the federal government — while our own state is on fire, both literally and metaphorically.”
Marine vet fought for US takes fight for his own freedom down to the wire
Daniel Penny’s subway chokehold trial resumes Monday, with attorneys expected to begin their closing arguments after a break for Thanksgiving.
The 26-year-old architecture student and Marine Corps veteran faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted of manslaughter for the death of Jordan Neely, a 30-year-old mentally ill homeless man who was high on synthetic marijuana when he barged onto a subway car and started screaming threats at the passengers.
Neely had a warrant out for his arrest at the time, the case’s final witness revealed before the defense rested its case – as well as a lengthy criminal history and schizophrenia.
DANIEL PENNY DEFENSE RESTS AS FINAL WITNESS REVEALS JORDAN NEELY HAD OPEN WARRANT, DEFENDANT DOESN’T TESTIFY
Responding officers questioned Penny – without telling him Neely had died – and then let him go. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office secured an indictment nearly two weeks later and Penny turned himself in.
A diverse cast of witnesses for the prosecution testified that Neely was scaring them with death threats in a subway outburst that went above and beyond the typical subway outbursts many members of the jury had witnessed before on the city’s troubled public transit system.
Defense attorney Steven Raiser is expected to go first and spend around two hours giving his closing argument. Bragg’s office gets the final word and declined to reveal how long it might take.
Once the arguments are over, Judge Maxwell Wiley is also expected to deliver thorough instructions to the jury before their deliberations after the defense raised many objections to how Bragg’s office handled the case, which the judge acknowledged early on raised “bias” concerns.
DANIEL PENNY DEFENSE CALLS FORENSIC PATHOLOGIST TO WITNESS STAND: ‘THE CHOKEHOLD DID NOT CAUSE THE DEATH’
Prosecutors argue that Penny went too far when he put a belligerent, shouting Neely in a chokehold on a Manhattan subway car after he started screaming death threats.
Neely was Black and Penny is White, and prosecutors appeared to highlight the case’s racial undertones in court, even though Penny is not accused of a hate crime. They allowed one witness to repeatedly describe Penny as “the White man” and another to call him a “murderer” despite there being no murder charges filed in connection with the case.
Assistant District Attorney Dafna Yoran also brought up the term “homicide,” prompting Wiley to ask the jury to disregard the term, explaining that “homicide” means something different to a medical examiner than it does to a lawyer or a juror.
Witness Lauri Sitro testified that in 30 years of subway riding, she’s seen a lot of unstable people, but this “felt different.”
“I was scared for my son,” she testified under cross-examination. “It’s not like you can take a 5-year-old and run to the next train. I felt very relieved when Daniel Penny had stopped him from moving around sporadically.”
Sitro was not the only woman who told the court that Neely scared them when he barged onto the train, shouting threats and violently throwing his jacket. Several did, including Ivette Rosario, a teen straphanger who said she just wanted to “get away,” and Arethia Gittings, who said she “was scared s—less” and remained at the scene to speak with responding officers.
Gittings testified that it did not look like Neely was going to give up as Penny and the other men held him down, that she was especially terrified by the encounter after enduring prior attacks on other subway cars and that it didn’t look like Penny was applying pressure to Neely’s neck but rather trying to hold him still as officers were on the way.
“I came back to thank Mr. Penny for what he had done in that worst scenario,” she testified.
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Another female passenger to testify was Caedryn Schrunk, a Nike brand manager who said Neely boarded the train and immediately filled the car with the stench of “soiled sweatpants.”
“I was scared that I was going to die in that moment,” she told the court.
In addition to the manslaughter count, Penny faces a lesser charge of criminally negligent homicide. The jurors must find Penny acted with “recklessness” to convict on manslaughter and “negligence” for the lesser charge.
Luxury deals that are worth indulging in as Cyber Monday price-drops continue
Treat yourself to something nice this holiday season—and at an incredible price. Amazon’s Black Friday sale has some great bargains on splurge-worthy items. So, if you’ve been good and saving all year long, now is your chance to treat yourself to some of those expensive items—like a state-of-the-art espresso machine or a red light therapy face mask—that are now significantly less costly.
Sign up for a Prime membership during the holiday season (and beyond!) to enjoy fast, free delivery, access to invite-only deals, and the option to Buy With Prime. Most purchases can be delivered to your door in 24 hours if you’re an Amazon Prime member, making your holiday shopping a breeze.
Here are 16 deals that are worth the splurge:
Philips coffee machine: on sale for $499.99
Original price: $999.99
Create coffeehouse-quality espresso drinks with the Automatic Espresso Machine—LatteGo Milk Frother. The machine can make up to eight coffee drinks, including espresso, cappuccino and latte macchiato. You can customize each drink’s strength, quantity, and type of milk froth. This machine comes with a built-in coffee grinder.
PlayStation VR set: on sale for $349.99
Original price: $549.95
Transform your playing experience with this PlayStation 5 and PC virtual reality headset. The headset has 4K HDR visuals. Watch as a living, breathing game world comes alive, with a seamless field of view wherever you turn.
Swarovski Una Angelic Crystal Necklace: on sale for $157.64
Original price: $300
Update your holiday look with this beautiful Una Angelic All-Around choker, featuring sparkling Swarovski crystals and a unique design that provides a glamorous touch for any occasion. The rose-gold-tone finish setting is lined with white crystals and matching pavé, complete with an adjustable lobster clasp.
GET YOUR HOME HOLIDAY-READY WITH THESE 18 DECORATING DEALS
Solawave wrinkle retreat: on sale for $239.99
Original price: $349
Treat yourself to Solawave’s Wrinkle Retreat – a face mask that uses red and near-infrared light therapy to reduce the appearance of wrinkles and other signs of aging. Here’s how it works. Red light therapy can help stimulate collagen production to reduce fine lines and wrinkles and near-infrared light therapy restores and can rejuvenate skin for a more radiant complexion.
Digital picture frame: on sale for $129
Original price: $159
Skylight’s touchscreen digital picture frame allows you to share photos with your loved ones almost instantly—from anywhere in the world. It features a 10-inch color touchscreen, allowing you to pinch, crop, and zoom easily right from the frame. If you are gifting the frame, you can preload your favorite photos without unboxing Skylight.
Cobra Golf 2022 LTDX Driver: on sale for $179.52
Original price: $498.95
The golfer on your list will enjoy unwrapping this Cobra Golf 2022 LTDX Driver. This high-performance distance machine combines low spin, fast ball speed and extreme forgiveness for the longest total distance. It includes a headcover and a wrench.
SAFAVIEH Beijing floral blue lamps: on sale for $144.21
Original price: $400.80
This set of two beautiful table lamps from Safavieh features a blue and white design of wandering flowers and vines in a classic Chinoiserie style. The lamps are crafted of glazed ceramic and accented with an antique gold base and neck. It will add an instant touch of elegance to your living area.
Oral-B iO Deep Clean electric toothbrush: on sale for $119.99
Original price:$213.42
Give your teeth a luxurious clean with the Oral-B iO Deep Clean + Protect Rechargeable Electric Toothbrush. This toothbrush uses Oral-B’s most advanced technology to remove 100% more plaque than a manual brush in one week. Plus, it uses AI recognition to help guide you to a better cleaning for all areas of your mouth.
10 TOYS THAT WILL BE HOT THIS HOLIDAY SEASON
Rayban Meta smart glasses: on sale for $303.20
Original price: $379
These classic Rayban sunglasses look cool but are updated with a tiny camera that lets you snap a photo or video clip from your unique point of view.
Electric bike: on sale for $679.99
Original price: $1,083.34
Grab your e-bike on sale and jump on this growing trend of transport that lets you be eco-friendly and healthy. The Hiboy EX6 Electric Bike has a 960-watt gear motor and battery that can last up to 75 miles at 25 miles per hour on a single charge.
LEVOIT cordless vacuum cleaner: on sale for $149.99
Original price: $199.99
Treat yourself to this cordless, stick vacuum, which is lightweight but powerful enough to clean your hardwood, porcelain floors, carpets and stairs. The vacuum runs up to 50 minutes in eco-mode and has a multistep filtration process designed to remove pet hair and allergens.
Ninja DualZone air fryer: on sale for $119.99
Original price: $199.99
Ninja’s 8-quart six-in-one DualZone, two-basket air fryer comes with two independent frying baskets. It is a popular choice because its DualZone technology allows you to cook two different foods at the same time at different temperatures.
Breville espresso machine: on sale for $549.95
Original price: $749.95
The Breville Barista Express is a solid choice for an all-in-one espresso machine. It got great reviews for its ease of use and value. Reviewers said the Breville works great, makes delicious coffee, and is easy to clean. Plus, it’s a beautiful machine to display on your kitchen counter or coffee station.
SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD: on sale for $129.99
Original price: $199.99
This SanDisk 2TB Extreme Portable SSD offers 1050 megabits per second read and 1000 megabits per second write speeds. It is water—and dust-resistant, X-ray—and shockproof, and has a five-year limited warranty. This SSD offers significantly faster data access speeds, which give you quicker boot times, faster application loading, and overall improved system responsiveness.
Shark Carpet Cleaner Machine: on sale for $99.99
Original price: $149.99
Keep your carpets clean year-round with this Shark portable spot and stain eliminator carpet cleaner machine. You can use the machine to clean carpets, area rugs, couches, upholstery and more. It uses a dual-activated solution to deliver 20 times more stain-striking power and removes tough odors, including smoke and pet urine.
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Gentle Souls by Kenneth Cole tall suede boot: on sale for $139.99
Original price: $199.99
Kenneth Cole’s knee-high boots stretch for a comfortable fit that you will wear all winter long. Reviewers praised the boots’ look and the quality of these simple black boots.