President Donald Trump reacts to Joe Biden’s decision to pardon his son Hunter

Washington: In response to departing US President Joe Biden’s decision to pardon his son Hunter, who was convicted of gun-related and tax-related offenses, US President-elect Donald Trump has called it a miscarriage of justice.

Trump said on Truth Social, “Does Joe’s pardon of Hunter include the J-6 hostages, who have been in jail for years now? What a travesty of justice and abuse!”

Trump and his allies have referred to individuals who were imprisoned for their involvement in the January 6, 2021, rioting on Capitol Hill as the “J6 hostages,” arguing that they were behaving in a peaceful and patriotic manner.

Rumor has it that Donald Trump would pardon anyone incarcerated for their involvement in the January 6, 2021, siege of Capitol Hill once he becomes president.

Earlier on Sunday, Joe Biden issued a pardon for his son, Hunter Biden, who was found guilty of tax and gun-related offenses. Hunter Biden will not be sentenced for these offenses, and the pardon eliminates the chance of jail time.

President Biden addressed the allegations against his son in a statement, claiming that comparable cases—like those involving addiction-related problems with tax payments—usually have non-criminal outcomes.

He argued that despite the lack of aggravating circumstances, Hunter’s case was handled differently and resulted in felony charges. Biden also emphasized his resolve to refrain from interfering with the Justice Department’s judgment, even if he felt his son had been “selectively and unfairly prosecuted.”

“I signed my son Hunter’s pardon today. Even though I have seen my son being unjustly and selectively persecuted, I have remained true to my pledge to not meddle in the Justice Department’s decision-making from the day I assumed office. People are generally never tried on felony charges based just on how they filled out a gun form unless there are aggravating circumstances, such as usage in a crime, numerous purchases, or purchasing a weapon as a straw purchaser. Non-criminal resolutions are usually granted to those who paid back their taxes later with interest and penalties after falling behind due to severe addictions. Hunter obviously received different treatment,” the statement said.

Biden clarified that the allegations against his son were brought about by pressure from congressional political rivals. He went on to say that political pressure caused a plea agreement that had been reached with the Department of Justice to fall apart in court.

Only when a few of my congressional rivals encouraged them to disparage me and prevent my election did the accusations in his cases become a reality. Subsequently, a meticulously crafted plea agreement, approved by the Department of Justice, fell apart in the courtroom, with some of my congressional rivals claiming responsibility for exerting political pressure on the proceedings. Hunter’s charges would have been fairly and reasonably resolved if the plea agreement had been upheld, the statement said.

The former president said that the accusations were politically motivated and claimed that Hunter was singled out because of their friendship. In closing, Biden said he believed that while he had trust in the legal system, politics had corrupted the legal process, resulting in a “miscarriage of justice.”