President Joe Biden announced on December 1, 2024 that he has pardoned his son Hunter Biden for various crimes. If you’ll recall, Hunter was to be sentenced for federal tax and gun convictions. We’re more concerned with the gun charges here, and I can say with complete certainty that I’m not at all surprised that President Biden pardoned his son, despite the elder man saying on several occasions that he wouldn’t pardon Hunter. I knew President Biden was lying about that. The only question was when.
“Today, I signed a pardon for my son Hunter,” the president said in a statement. It is a “full and unconditional pardon,” which is quite the understatement because President Biden granted clemency for Hunter Biden’s tax and gun offenses “from January 1, 2014 through December 1, 2024.” Wow. Why not longer? And for what crimes? No matter. Everything illegal is pardoned between those dates. The pardon eliminates any chance that Hunter Biden will go to prison for lying on a 4473 form, which is a federal perjury offense.
In his statement, President Biden said that he issued the pardon because his son was “selectively, and unfairly, prosecuted,” and that “Hunter was treated differently” from people who commit similar crimes. The president further claimed Hunter Biden was “singled out” for prosecution “only because he is my son.” The judge who oversaw Hunter Biden’s gun trial in Delaware said that Hunter Biden’s theory of selective prosecution was “nonsensical under the facts here.” Hunter Biden was convicted by a jury in June 2024 of illegally buying and possessing a gun as a drug user. Joe Biden justified the pardon by pointing out that few people are charged with the addiction-related gun offenses “without aggravating factors,” such as using the weapon as part of a violent crime. And yet, a jury convicted Hunter Biden.
Some gunowners-rights folks and organizations had thoughts about the pardon.
The National Association for Gun Rights said, “Wow Mr. Biden, we are glad to hear you now believe a simple 4473 violation is not worth criminal charges. You surely don’t only believe that for only your son, this is a broad policy correct?”
2A scholar Mark W. Smith said, “Hunter Biden’s pardon just helped American gun owners. Biden’s discussion of … gun crimes as an excuse to pardon Hunter is the sort of statement by anti-gunner Joe that we can use down the road against the ATF and against the anti-gunners generally.”
Gun Owners of America wrote, “Gun control for you, but not for my son.” — Joe Biden
Kostas Moros, 2A attorney: “I am pleasantly surprised to report that the big three anti-gun organizations have condemned the Hunter Biden pardon. Lying when buying a gun undermines the very core of common sense gun laws, so accountability is critical, even for the son of their greatest political ally.
“Haha JUST KIDDING! Two of them made posts asking for money, and Brady hasn’t posted anything.” — Todd Woodard
