- cross-posted to:
- politics@lemmy.world
- usa@lemmy.ml
- politics@lemmy.world
- cross-posted to:
- politics@lemmy.world
- usa@lemmy.ml
- politics@lemmy.world
Summary
President Joe Biden pardoned his son Hunter Biden, reversing his prior stance against using executive clemency.
The pardon covers Hunter’s federal gun conviction and tax evasion guilty plea, sparking political controversy.
Biden cited political attacks and a “miscarriage of justice” as reasons for his decision, emphasizing his son’s recovery from addiction and the targeting of his family.
Critics argue the move undermines the judicial process, while supporters view it as within Biden’s constitutional powers.
This decision shields Hunter from potential prison time as Biden nears the end of his presidency.
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Republicans seemed to have successfully done a false equivalency. They lied about witch hunts and then did one, and then when the president swatted it away people reacted with, “Oh, they’re both the same.”
Trump pardons traitors, insurrectionists, Nazis. A witch hunt victim is in the same league, because family I guess. Not like that was the reason for the witch hunt or anything!
Trump’ll pardon all the Jan 6’ers in jail when he gets into office. Actual insurrectionist criminals.
Lol.
Most of these comments are a great example of how stupid Americans are.
All my life Dems have been held to a higher standard. I’ve watched them take the high road so many times while the Republicans went low. Continued to honor decorum when Republicans refused.
And guess what happened?
Americans told them to go fuck themselves and voted for blatant Republican corruption instead.
And now there’s a bunch of comments in here whining about how Democrats are corrupt for doing this.
Go fuck yourselves. Clowns.
That pardon smells fishy, but I can understand that he does not want to leave his son exposed to imprisonment under Trump. Donald has shown time and again that he has no problems in going after weak persons to extract petty revenge.
“Critics argue the move undermines the judicial process, while supporters view it as within Biden’s constitutional powers.”
Both things are true though. The pardon power exists as a check on the judicial branch, so it certainly undermines it in the same way that the veto undermines legislative decisions by congress. The constitution gives the president the authority to do some pretty blatant undermining, but checks work in the other direction too if the branches are acting as co-equals and not just shilling for one of the others.
“We take the high road” mfers when the low road people go after his son:
I’m not surprised and I don’t really care. Last time I checked the charges against him were kinda bullshit and it was clear to me that red team was pushing for him to face charges out of spite. It’s funny to see Trump get mad about it though, he would have pardoned his own kid a long time ago if he were in that position. Well, maybe not Eric, but definitely Don Jr, Ivanka, or maybe the other ones.
I’m not happy about this. Not one bit. Just like how I wouldn’t have been happy to hear about Trump pardoning one of his own kids for breaking the law. As a matter of fact, I’m furious reading some of the comments in this thread.
It shocks me to see people defending this. We fought against the Republicans to prevent misuse of executive powers exactly like this. How the fuck can you sit there and rationalize this while saying it’s wrong for Trump to pardon the Jan 6th insurrectionists? or himself for that matter?
This is a black stain on Biden’s presidential legacy. It’s shit like this that puts wind in the sails of all the crazy Republican conspiracy theorists out there. Now, every single motherfucker who ranted and raved about the “Biden Crime Family” since 2020 was just proven right, just like how all the people who said that Trump’s convictions were politically motivated were proven right when Jack Smith dropped the charges. It makes us look like fucking morons and hypocrites.
No, before anyone says it, it is not smart to stoop to their level when basically the only messaging we sent out during the entire 2024 campaign was that we were the morally superior choice. That someone who doesn’t respect the rule of law has no business being president. Now, we don’t even have that to lean on.
The prior president pardoned a family member who was blackmailing and raping people, then appointed the same criminal to be ambassador to France. I don’t give a fuck what President Biden does now. We’re a country of criminals and oligarchs now.
Always have been.
… it’s a big club and you ain’t in it. You and I are not in the big club…
You can be a part of my club. Only rule is we’re good to each other and everyone else, except those who aren’t good to us.
Same club they beat you over the head with
“I have no principles”
“This guy keeps punching me in the face but I think punching is morally wrong so I’ll just let him break my nose.”
This is exactly what they say about you too justify what they’re doing.
It’s amazing how quickly all the pride in our founding, American values, principles, etc are just discarded the moment one team loses an election.
This is exactly what they say about you too
Bro they spent 5 years talking about adrenochrome and “demonrats” space lasers I’d be surprised if they could pronounce my name. I don’t need to do anything to trigger them, so why even dance around?
You cometely missed my point. You’re using the same shitty logic they are. “Both sides” are doing the same thing.
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“I think one sentence replies all over the thread means I’m contributing.”
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Principles don’t win in America anymore. We just proved that beyond a shadow of a doubt a month ago.
So now it’s just “your dictator” vs. “their dictator” eh?
Nah. I just want the party that has a history of voting in favor of working class Americans and being better for our economy to do what they need to do to get elected in America. Which is lie, cheat, and steal.
This has to be one of the stupidest things I’ve ever read.
Probably because you haven’t read very much.
Which part specifically though?
The FACT that Democrats have a voting history proving they regularly vote in favor of the working class? The FACT that Democrats are historically better for our economy and the data to prove that exists? Or the brand new FACT that to win an election in the United States you have to lie, cheat, and steal?
The part where you think a party willing to cheat and lie will hold to liberal democracy ideals.
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Biden cannot do any of those.
Senate makes it’s own rules. Biden doesn’t make them. Parlimentarian is chosen by a house committee. Number if SCOTUS justices is set by law, not presidential decree.
It’s incredibly sad to see Democrats embrace hypocrisy with pride regarding a simple and obvious issue like this.
Trump will have a field day pardoning Jan 6 criminals with this additional political cover from Biden.
He was going to do those J6 pardons anyways, don’t kid yourself. He didn’t need “additional cover”.
*Biden was going to do this pardon anyway, don’t kid yourself believing his constant lies.
Conservatives keep breathing air too, did they need permission from liberals to do that too?
Don’t mistake every action for a reaction. This is a mess but they were gonna do this and worse always, anyways, they already have.
Don’t mistake hypocrisy for meaningful principles.
No silly, he was going to have Kamala do it.
Too bad that that bridge has sailed…
A sycophant is much better than a nepotist
Lol and that’s why you voted for Trump, right?
Like he needed that cover. Remember how he pardoned war criminals in his last days back in 2020?
Hypocrisy is a victimless crime right
First part is true. It is sad and even a pretty respectable president has taken a fuck it attitude toward nepotism. Second part of your statement is silly though. Trump is shameless criminal, no amount of “cover” is needed - he was going to pardon those traitors regardless.
If democracy ever re-emerges in some other time or place, hopefully they won’t give this power to presidents. It’s ridiculous and heavily abused throughout history.
If democracy ever re-emerges in some other time or place
Why don’t you cool it with the American exceptionalism? There are lots of countries that are still democratic, and have been more democratic than the US for many decades.
Just because US democracy has failed doesn’t mean it’s failed globally. Sit down for a bit, shut up, fix your own shit, try not to start an illegal war for a while, and then re-join us when you’re ready.
Trump has now won twice because of Dem incompetence and hypocrisy.
Dems moving to the right is not irrelevant to Trump’s existence in office.
I love when people use Trump as a litmus test for good behavior and how openly hypocrisy is displayed like a badge of honor.
Go ahead and ride your high horse on that moral high road, just don’t trip over all the corpses.
Go ahead and wear your hypocrisy like a badge of honor.
yeah well you go and simmer your hypocrisy on a medium heat until it toasts up golden brown
More word salad please.
Considering Hunter Biden was the victim of a politically motivated witch hunt, and not an actual criminal. I have no problem with this,
Critics argue the move undermines the judicial process, …
Oh shut the fuck up.
The Supreme Court undermined the judicial system.
I really appreciate that you took the time to bold it, made me chuckle 😁 I feel you though 💙
Why did Biden say he had full faith in the judicial process this entire year until now then?
I would hope he was lying. I can’t imagine he’s so stupid he can’t see.
I wouldn’t be surprised if he can’t see or understand the situation very well. The man is ancient.
Who says liars can’t also be stupid?
True. Just look at Drump.
Exactly.
He probably didn’t expect the US to elect a fascist…
He wasn’t around in 2016 huh.
Well, there’s something to be said for that election… 2016 I honestly figured Trump would be no difference than Clinton, in all honestly. They are both wealthy oligarchs, who look to solidify their interests.
Obviously, that was not true.
Stop with the whataboutism, this is the political class acting in its own interest at no benefit to any of us. If anything this discredits the legal system and is to our detriment.
The votes came in. The country chose corruption and “fuck it” politics. At this point Joe just wants to protect himself / family from the coming retribution administration.
This is yet another example of Biden just not doing things sufficiently enough. He must issue a preemptive umbrella pardon for himself, as Trump’s DOJ, FBI, and CIA will go after him
I agree, he should push the limit of what’s possible to force the Supreme Court to rule on the actions, call their bluff, lay bare the hypocrisy officially for all the world to see.
Exactly. By not testing the supreme court, he is seen as being complicit in the manipulation of the system that Trump plans to implement and he might fall victim of it himself. The chances that Biden dies of old age during a lengthy court case or in jail, unfortunately, are non-zero.
In any case, Dem’s lack of imagination is just astounding
Dems have always been cowards :/
Testing the supreme court could also result in certain dictatorial powers for Trump. At the moment they are only theoretical.
Trump will test anyway, so not testing only delays the inevitable
He should have threatened to start jailing Senators as an official act unless they pass a law/amendment saying that he can’t.
He still can, in fact.
He pardoned himself in his mind, same way Trump declassified those documents.
Exactly! The same way Trump locked Hillary up in prison after he won in 2016 right.
History has now shown us that there was evidently no one on the ballot who wasnt a “corruption and fuck it politics” candidate.
On the one hand this is pretty hypocritical. On the other hand I probably would do the same in his position given that trump plans to weaponize the Justice department. Not great but this is the state our country is in now.
I’ve always found it absurd that presidents possess the authority to grant pardons. It trivializes our judicial system and undermines its integrity. This power should not be vested in the presidency.
It’s supposed to be a check on the judicial. Are you suggesting it should be vested elsewhere or just not at all? I wouldn’t remove any checks on this court personally
How does this check work?
I mean if you’re president is an unethical convict, like the next one, it obviously doesn’t work as intended.
The judiciary should be entirely separated from the political as per the trias politica.
I mean that’s what it was meant for, to pardon political victims of the court. None of it was meant to work with political parties though like Washington(?) warned though. But none of it was meant for that
The president is then in turn checked by the legislature, who hold the power to impeach and remove.
Just that everything that works in theory stops working when you have 250 years to break it.
Honestly, I think it’s more of a practical matter. Even if they didn’t have explicit pardon power, whoever’s in charge of the executive has effective pardon powers by simply denying to carry out the orders of the court (see Jackson’s behavior which lead to the trail of tears).
At least by making it official it’s a lot more clear what’s going on, and maybe they had hoped this would lead to electoral consequences for those who abused it?
