President Joe Biden had a choice to make — on paper at least. His son, Hunter, was found guilty Tuesday of federal gun charges, making it the first time a sitting president’s child has been convicted of a crime. At any point, with the stroke of a pen, Biden could have made those charges go away. He could have issued a pardon that cannot be challenged in our legal system.
It must have been at least an intrusive thought for the president as he awaited his only surviving child’s verdict. But after the guilty verdicts were announced, all the president did was issue a statement of support for his wayward son once the jury had delivered their decision and then fly to Delaware later that night to spend time with him. “I will accept the outcome of this case and will continue to respect the judicial process as Hunter considers an appeal,” President Biden said in that statement. Eschewing a pardon is a choice many parents wouldn’t be able to make, not with that much power at their disposal.
This is a preview of Hayes Brown's latest article. Read the full column here.
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