It appears President Joe Biden gave Republicans more of a Christmas present than I initially believed after he decided to pardon his son, Hunter.
Because of Santa Biden, Democrats are now at each other’s throats over the matter, with some prominent left-wing figures criticizing other Democrats for defending or remaining silent on the pardon.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom was one of several Democratic politicians who took issue with his comrades’ silence on the matter. He told Politico that he “completely understand[s] the instinct to protect Hunter” but that he “took the president at his word” and is “disappointed and can’t support the decision.”
Indeed, the fact that the president continually said he would not pardon his son has been a source of contention for people on both sides of the aisle.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) said, “No one is above the law, and that includes presidents, former presidents and family members of the presidents.”
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis called the pardon “a bad precedent” that would “tarnish [Biden’s] reputation.”
While as a father I certainly understand President @JoeBiden’s natural desire to help his son by pardoning him, I am disappointed that he put his family ahead of the country. This is a bad precedent that could be abused by later Presidents and will sadly tarnish his reputation.…
— Jared Polis (@jaredpolis) December 2, 2024
When you become President, your role is Pater familias of the nation. Hunter brought the legal trouble he faced on himself, and one can sympathize with his struggles while also acknowledging that no one is above the law, not a President and not a President’s son.
A Democratic strategist called the pardon “problematic” and emblematic of Biden’s presidency. “I think it’s terrible that he did it and that no Democrats are speaking up,” the individual said.
Kurt Ehrenberg, a former adviser for Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), noted that the president has “got nothing to lose. His friends threw him over the side. He did what was best for him, which is always what Joe Biden does.”
Members of left-wing media also took issue with the pardon. The “Obama bros” slammed the decision on their “Pod Save America” podcast. “Now everyone looks stupid. Everyone looks like they are full of s***,” said Tommy Vietor.
Former Obama speechwriter Jon Favreau said he believed Biden when he said he would not pardon his son. “I feel like a f****** fool, that’s what makes me mad about it.” He also slammed the president for not extending pardons to others who are more deserving: “It’s most infuriating that Biden chose to pardon his son and not a whole bunch of other people who were just government servants doing their job.”
NBC’s Chuck Todd, a longtime shill for the Democratic Party, described the pardon as selfish and suggested that Biden “needs therapy.”
More: Popcorn Time: Dems in Disarray As Real Reason for Their Dismay Over Hunter Biden Pardon Is Revealed
Hurt Obama Bros Whine About Biden’s Pardon of Hunter—’Now Everyone Looks Stupid’
Of course, the real issue here is not just that Biden made a bad decision after lying about it multiple times; it’s that his decision affects the party as a whole. Ehrenberg argued that the chorus of crickets coming from many other Democrats “bodes for more of the same from Democratic candidates for president. I don’t see any shining stars in the field right now.”
And this, ladies and gentlemen, is the crux of the matter. As I have noted, those who plan to scream their heads off when President-elect Donald Trump pardons all, or some, of the J6ers will have a harder time being taken seriously because of their president’s actions – especially since many on the left have still not spoken up about it.
As “The Daily Show” host Jon Stewart pointed out, this shows that the Democrats “never had the moral high ground. It was always a lie.”
This episode proves Stewart right. The level of hypocrisy that it will take for Democrats to criticize Trump for freeing people who were actually railroaded simply for strolling around the U.S. Capitol Building on Jan. 6, 2023, won’t go unnoticed. In light of this, it seems clear that Republicans are on Santa’s good list this year.
