GOP lawmakers began publicly expressing anger shortly after President Joe Biden announced he was pardoning his son Hunter Biden.
Steven Cheung, communications director for President-elect Donald Trump, reacted to the announcement without naming the president or his son.
Cheung said in a statement, “The failed witch hunt against President Trump has proven that the Democrat-controlled DOJ and other radical prosecutors are guilty of weaponizing the justice system.”
He further added, “That system of justice must be fixed and due process restored for all Americans, which is exactly what President Trump will do when he returns to the White House with an overwhelming mandate from the American people.”
Soon after, Trump himself reacted publicly to the news, citing the prosecution related to the attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.
“Does Joe’s pardon of Hunter include the J-6 hostages who have been imprisoned for many years now? Such an abuse and miscarriage of justice!” Trump said on Truth Social.
Several Republicans in Congress who have been longtime critics of Hunter Biden’s conduct immediately attacked the decision on social media, calling it an attempt to “evade accountability” and labeling the president a “hypocrite.”
“His FBI and DOJ raided Barron’s bedroom and Melania’s closet at Mar-a-Lago,” Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., said on X, referring to the federal raid on Trump’s home in Florida in connection with the now-dismissed classified documents case against Trump. “Joe Biden is a liar and a hypocrite to the end.”
Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., said on X that Biden “will go down as one of the most corrupt presidents in American history.” “It is unfortunate that, rather than coming forward openly about their decades of wrongdoing, President Biden and his family are doing everything possible to avoid accountability,” Representative James Comer, R-KY, chairman of the House Oversight Committee, said on X. Comer’s committee has sent criminal referrals to the Justice Department recommending charges against Hunter Biden.
Senator Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, said the decision left him “stunned.”
“I am shocked that President Biden pardoned his son Hunter because he said many times he would not do it and I believed him, I am ashamed,” he said on X.
Senator Tom Cotton, R-Ark., argued that Americans can sympathize with Biden while still criticizing the move.
“Most Americans can sympathize with a father’s decision to pardon his son, even if they disagree,” he said on X. “What they cannot forgive is Biden repeatedly lying about this before the election.” Most of the backlash came from Republicans, though some Democrats also weighed in. Gov. Jared Polis, D-Colo., criticized Biden’s decision.
“While as a father I certainly understand President Joe Biden’s natural desire to help his son by pardoning him, I am disappointed that he put his family ahead of his country,” Polis said on X. “This is a bad precedent that could be abused by subsequent presidents and will sadly tarnish his reputation.”
