That Was Then, This Is Biden

How It Started: CNN: Biden says he won’t pardon Hunter Biden or commute his sentence in first public remarks after guilty verdict

President Joe Biden on Thursday offered his first public remarks about his son Hunter’s conviction on federal gun charges earlier this week, telling reporters in Italy he is “proud” of him and accepts the jury’s verdict.

“I’m extremely proud of my son Hunter. He has overcome an addiction, he’s one of the brightest, most decent men I know,” Biden said during a news conference on the margins of the G7 summit.

“I am satisfied that I’m not going to do anything — I said I’d abide by the jury decision. I will do that. And I will not pardon him,” he added. 

How It's Going: AP: Biden pardons his son Hunter despite previous pledges not to

President Joe Biden pardoned his son,  Hunter, sparing the younger Biden a possible prison sentence for federal felony gun and tax convictions and reversing his past promises not to use the extraordinary powers of the presidency for the benefit of his family.

....

In a statement released Sunday evening, Biden said, “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.”

Like most Biden promises, that one didn't age well.

To be fair he likely cannot even remember making that promise 6 months ago, nor his past public statement that he accepts the jury's verdict.

That anyone thought he wouldn't pardon his son likely believed Biden's statements that the inflation act was about reducing inflation. 

The pardon meshes well both with Joe bailing his son out on family grounds and the Democrats' general soft-on-crime outlook as long as the accussed's name is not Trump and has leftist politics.

On the upside, with pardon in hand, Hunter Biden can no longer refuse to testify regarding the Biden family crimes he committed and was involved in on Fifth Amendment grounds as he has immunity for them as the pardon covers any and all possible crime  "he has or may have committed or taken part in during the period from January 1, 2014 through December 1, 2024".  

Hopefully, Republicans call him to testify accordingly.