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| - On Dec. 1, 2024, U.S. President Joe Biden announced he was pardoning his son, Hunter Biden, who was awaiting sentencing in two criminal cases. Biden's decision immediately sparked criticism from both Democrats and Republicans, many of whom pointed out his previous assurances that he would not use his presidential powers to pardon his son.
Many online posted old video clips of White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre answering "no" to the question of whether Biden would pardon his son. Another post highlighted Biden's own past statements on the matter.
Biden indeed stated numerous times himself, and through the White House press secretary, that he would not issue a pardon for his son. The December 2024 pardon was thus a reversal of his previous statements. As such, we rate this claim as correctly attributed.
In June 2024, Hunter Biden was convicted by a federal jury on three felony gun charges as he had violated laws meant to prevent drug addicts from owning guns. In September 2024, he also pleaded guilty in a federal tax case with charges that included filing a false tax return, failure to file and pay taxes, and tax evasion.
The pardon is "full and unconditional" according to the official text, and covers offenses he "has committed or may have committed or taken part in during the period from January 1, 2014 through December 1, 2024."
Previous Statements by Biden and Jean-Pierre
Below, we have compiled some of the statements issued by Biden and his press secretary regarding pardoning his son.
Most recently, in November 2024, Jean-Pierre was asked if Biden had plans to pardon his son, to which she said: "We've been asked that question multiple times. Our answer stands, which is no." She also said no to the possibility of a commutation (a change in a legal sentence, possibly to a lesser punishment) for Hunter Biden.
In August 2024, after Biden dropped out of the presidential race, Jean-Pierre was asked if Biden would ask then-Vice President (and Democratic presidential candidate) Kamala Harris to pardon his son if she were to win the election:
Q: You've said for the podium that President Biden would not pardon his son. If Vice President Harris is elected, would he tell her also to not pardon his son?
JEAN-PIERRE: I — I mean, that's a hypothetical that I — look, the president — I can speak for the president, and he said he would not pardon his son. And I'm just going to leave it there.
On June 13, 2024, Biden said he would not use his presidential powers to grant his son a lesser sentence. During a summit in Italy, he said: "I'm extremely proud of my son Hunter. He has overcome an addiction. He is one of the brightest, most decent men I know. I abide by the jury decision. I will do that and I will not pardon him."
After the jury convicted Hunter on June 11, 2024, Biden released the following statement, saying he "will continue to respect the judicial process":
As I said last week, I am the President, but I am also a dad. Jill and I love our son, and we are so proud of the man he is today. So many families who have had loved ones battle addiction understand the feeling of pride seeing someone you love come out the other side and be so strong and resilient in recovery. As I also said last week, I will accept the outcome of this case and will continue to respect the judicial process as Hunter considers an appeal. Jill and I will always be there for Hunter and the rest of our family with our love and support. Nothing will ever change that.
Earlier that month, amid the ongoing felony gun trial, in an interview with ABC News, Biden said he would not pardon his son. When asked whether he would accept the jury's outcome of the trial, Biden said, "Yes." When asked whether he would rule out a presidential pardon for his son, Biden said, "Yes."
Biden acknowledged those past public remarks in his announcement of the pardon on Dec. 1, 2024, saying he had "wrestled" with the decision:
Today, I signed a pardon for my son Hunter. From the day I took office, I said I would not interfere with the Justice Department's decision-making, and I kept my word even as I have watched my son being selectively, and unfairly, prosecuted. 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. Those who were late paying their taxes because of serious addictions, but paid them back subsequently with interest and penalties, are typically given non-criminal resolutions. It is clear that Hunter was treated differently. [...]
No reasonable person who looks at the facts of Hunter's cases can reach any other conclusion than Hunter was singled out only because he is my son – and that is wrong. 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.
For my entire career I have followed a simple principle: just tell the American people the truth. They'll be fair-minded. Here's the truth: I believe in the justice system, but as I have wrestled with this, I also believe raw politics has infected this process and it led to a miscarriage of justice – and once I made this decision this weekend, there was no sense in delaying it further. I hope Americans will understand why a father and a President would come to this decision.
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