‘Good for Joe:’ The internet has this dad’s back as Joe Biden pardons his son

As the United States, and the world at large, prepares for Trump to return to the White House, President Biden has done something he said he would never do: pardoned his son. While there are mixed views on the matter, many see Biden as simply being a protective father.

Biden has given his son the Presidential Pardon. This is one of the President’s highest powers, essentially allowing them to wipe someone’s criminal slate. Hunter Biden has been in trouble with the law for some time now and was facing three federal gun charges. These charges were down to the fact that he lied on a firearm application and evaded taxes for several years. A Delaware jury found Hunter guilty of lying on a firearm application when he declared himself to be free of drugs during a time when he was struggling with a drug addiction in 2018.

This was the first time a sitting President’s child has faced criminal prosecution. Biden said that his son’s trial was overkill, saying in a statement released by the White House,

“Without aggravating factors like use in a crime, multiple purchases, or buying a weapon as a straw purchaser, people are almost never brought to trial on felony charges solely for how they filled out a gun form.”

Having worked hard to secure a deal with the Department of Justice only for it to come apart in the courtroom, Biden felt he had no other course of action other than to offer the pardon he said he would never give.

Abuse of power? Or a father protecting his son?

While Biden’s opponent will, of course, cry “hypocrisy” and “misuse of power,” many on social media feel that Biden made the right call. Of course, if a person commits a crime, they should be held accountable to the law. But if said person is specifically targeted because of their connection to someone in a position of power, then that isn’t a fair use of the law either.

There has been mixed responses across the board, with fellow Democrats stating that they think Biden overstepped here. Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet of Colorado posted his feelings on the matter on social media, ““President Biden’s decision put personal interest ahead of duty and further erodes Americans’ faith that the justice system is fair and equal for all.” Democratic Rep. Greg Stanton of Arizona also agreed, writing in a post, “I respect President Biden, but I think he got this one wrong. This wasn’t a politically-motivated prosecution. Hunter committed felonies, and was convicted by a jury of his peers.”

However, many online actually support Biden’s decision, causing #goodforjoe to trend on X. Many of these in support of Biden’s decision see Hunter’s crimes as a drop in the bucket compared to controversial pardons Trump made when in office.

Other’s pointed out that Trump has been toying with the idea of pardoning the rioters from the notorious insurrection on January 6, 2021.

If a convicted felon and rapist can become President of the United States, then many see no issue with the current President pardoning his son. It would seem that faith in the Department of Justice is at an all time low.

Despite turning back on his word, this individual feels they understand why Biden felt he had to do what he did.

Some felt that Biden likely feared for his son at the hands of a Department of Justice under Trump’s control.

Of course, many have seen this as an instance of hypocrisy, with a Democrat abusing his power while denouncing Trump for doing the same. Let’s not forget though, that the degree of the crimes are not equatable.

The matter surrounding Hunter’s pardon is not clear cut as to who was abusing what power. Was Biden abusing his power by pardoning him? Or was the opposition abusing their power by pushing a case further than it needed in order to put pressure on Biden through his son. Either way, many can agree that Biden was likely trying to get his son out of the legal system before Trump takes charge and uses his case to further torment the Biden family.