President-elect Donald Trump hinted at mass pardons for defendants tied to the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot – and vowed to overhaul the “Democrat-controlled” Department of Justice after President Biden pardoned his son Hunter Sunday night.
“Does the Pardon given by Joe to Hunter include the J-6 Hostages, who have now been imprisoned for years? Such an abuse and miscarriage of Justice!” Trump posted on Truth Social.
The 45th president, who won back the White House last month, floated pardons during his campaign for the thousands of defendants either still facing trials or those already convicted for breaching the Capitol as Congress was voting to certify Biden’s 2020 election win over Trump.
Trump’s campaign earlier sent out a statement that blasted the Justice Department while vowing to fix the federal agency. It made no mention of President Biden or his son.
That system of justice must be fixed and due process must be restored for all Americans, which is exactly what President Trump will do as he returns to the White House with an overwhelming mandate from the American people.”
Hunter, 54, is now off the hook after he was scheduled to be sentenced on separate federal gun and tax evasion cases later this month.
Biden, 82, argued on Sunday his son was “selectively, and unfairly, prosecuted” — and issued a sweeping pardon that covered any offenses committed between Jan. 1, 2014, and Dec. 1, 2024.
He previously claimed he would not take action to help his son, telling reporters at a press conference during the G7 summit in June: “I said I’d abide by the jury decision. I will do that and I will not pardon him.”
In his Sunday night statement, the lame-duck president did an about-face, saying: “There has been an effort to break Hunter – who has been five and a half years sober, even in the face of unrelenting attacks and selective prosecution. In trying to break Hunter, they’ve tried to break me – and there’s no reason to believe it will stop here. Enough is enough.”
Sen. Chuck Grassley said he was “shocked” at the reversal.
“I’m shocked Pres Biden pardoned his son Hunter bc he said many many times he wouldn’t & I believed him,” the Iowa Republican posted on X. “Shame on me.”
House Republicans who led an impeachment inquiry into the president over his alleged involvement in his son’s foreign business dealings also decried the “blatant corruption.”
Source: NYPost
