Elon Musk and Bill Ackman are amongst critics slamming Biden’s u-turn pardon for son Hunter
Elon Musk and Bill Ackman are among the harshest critics who have slammed Joe Biden for his decision to pardon his son Hunter, after he repeatedly denied he would.
Biden’s bombshell U-turn decision will see Hunter get pardoned for any crimes he may have committed ‘from January 1, 2014 through December 1, 2024‘.
It comes just weeks after The White House denied the president would make the drastic move, slammed by Republicans and Democrats alike, in the final months of his lame duck presidency.
It comes after he claimed multiple times, as recently as June, that he would ‘not pardon’ his son.
Elon Musk said of Biden’s U-turn: ‘Fate loves irony… but hates hypocrisy.’
He later described Biden supporters who did not see an issue with the presidential pardon as using ‘Orwellian double-speak.’
The Tesla CEO also retweeted a screenshot of a community note pointing out an error in a Biden post, saying: ‘Community note slays.’
The note, which sat underneath a Biden post that read ‘No one is above the law’, reads: ‘By pardoning his son Hunter, not merely for a single crime but for all actual or potential crimes he may or may not have created [sic[ over an eleven years [sic] period, oe Biden has made clear that some people are, in fact above the law.’
Hedge fund manager Bill Ackman, meanwhile, said of Biden’s decision to pardon his son: ‘What kind of person would lie repeatedly about never pardoning their son and respecting the outcome of the courts when running for office and then pardon him once they withdrew their candidacy.
President Joe Biden stands with his son Hunter Biden, who earlier in the day was found guilty on all three counts in his criminal gun charges trial, after President Biden arrived at the Delaware Air National Guard Base in New Castle, Delaware, U.S., June 11, 2024
‘How would you describe this kind of person?’
The Pershing Square chief added: ‘Until his polls collapsed, this was the best candidate (at the prime of his life) and family that the Democratic Party could muster for the office of the president. What a disgrace.’
The pardon will cover both the gun charges and Hunter’s guilty plea. CNN reported that the judges overseeing his cases will most likely cancel the sentencing hearings he was due to attend on December 12 for the gun case and December 16 for the tax case.
The broad pardon also absolves him of any crimes he may have committed between January 1 2014 and December 1 2024, which covers his entire tenure on the board of Ukrainian gas company Burisma, as well as much of his other overseas work including in China.
Hunter joined the board of Burisma in 2014 and was paid millions for his role in the company despite not having a background in the gas or energy industries.
For months, the nation wondered if the president would pardon his son over his convictions on federal gun and tax fraud charges.
Other critics, including Donald Trump Jr. and conservative commentator Liz Wheeler, accused Biden of lying to the American people.
Don Jr. said on X: ‘Everyone knew he was going to do it. He was just going to do it when it was if no consequence to democrat electability.
‘Hunter Biden joined the board of Burisma in 2014,’ wrote conservative commentator Liz Wheeler. ‘By pardoning Hunter for any crimes he “may have committed” from 2014-2024, Joe Biden is protecting his family’s criminal cartel. Wow.’
She added that Biden is protecting his son from the possible new head of the FBI: ‘This pardon ain’t about the gun charge. The Big Guy is protecting himself from Kash Patel.’
Hunter Biden was known for allegedly cavorting with prostitutes
He also took a series of bizarre naked videos
Hunter was last season on holiday with his father and the rest of the Bidens on Nantucket in Rhode Island
It goes against what Biden has said as recently is June, directly telling the press: ‘I will not pardon him’
NBC News first reported on Sunday night that Biden was planning to pardon his son. Minutes later, the White House released a statement.
In a statement, a spokesperson for Donald Trump slammed what they called the Democrat-controlled justice system but didn’t appear to disagree with the decision.
‘The failed witch hunts against President Trump have proven that the Democrat-controlled DOJ and other radical prosecutors are guilty of weaponizing the justice system’, Steven Cheung told DailyMail.com
‘That system of justice must be fixed and due process must be restored for all Americans, which is exactly what President Trump will do as he returns to the White House with an overwhelming mandate from the American people.’
However, on Truth Social, he was a little angrier, wondering if the same courtesy would be given to those charged for their acts at the Capitol on January 6.
He wrote: ‘Does the Pardon given by Joe to Hunter include the J-6 Hostages, who have now been imprisoned for years? Such an abuse and miscarriage of Justice!’
Abbe Lowell, a key member of 54-year-old Hunter’s legal team had begun making his client’s case to the press that he was a political prisoner.
‘This is a seven-year saga propelled by an unrelenting political desire to use a son to hurt his father,’ Lowell said.
Biden’s allies accused Republicans of taking part in a witch hunt against his son
President Joe Biden attends Saturday Mass at the St Mary, Our Lady of the Isle Catholic Church on Nantucket. He was joined for service by his son Hunter, daughter Ashley and Grandson Beau
For months, the nation wondered if the president would pardon his son over his convictions on federal gun and tax fraud charges
Article II, Section 2 of the Constitution gives the president blanket power to pardon any federal crime, something most outgoing presidents do in their final days in office, some controversial, others routine.
Lowell has reiterated that the only reason Hunter is facing conviction is out of political gain for his father’s enemies.
‘It is a wild and terrifying story that serves as a stark warning of what is to come as some of the same Republicans who targeted Hunter prepare to resume power and have stated their intention to use the government’s vast power to pursue their perceived enemies,’ Lowell told the Washington Post.
In June, Biden repeated his vow not to pardon his son in his first public comments on Hunter since last week’s conviction. Hunter could face up to 25 years in prison.
He also said he was satisfied his son got a fair trial and reiterated his support for him.
‘I’m extremely proud of my son Hunter. He has overcome an addiction. He’s one of the brightest, most decent men I know. And I am satisfied that I’m not going to do anything. I said I would abide by the jury decision. I will do that. And I will not pardon him,’ Biden said on Thursday.
And he answered a simple ‘no’ when asked directly if he would commute Hunter’s sentence.
Both Biden and his spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre have repeatedly denied Hunter will be pardoned by his father.
When asked in November – just over 24 hours after the presidential election was called in Trump’s favor – whether Biden has any intention of pardoning his son, Jean-Pierre responded, ‘We’ve been asked that question multiple times. Our answer stands, which is no.’
