Washington, D.C. – President-elect Donald Trump hinted at issuing sweeping pardons for individuals tied to the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot, hours after President Joe Biden granted a controversial pardon to his son, Hunter Biden, on Sunday night.
Trump took to Truth Social to criticize the pardon, writing:
“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!”
The former president, who regained the White House in last month’s election, previously pledged during his campaign to consider pardoning the more than 1,500 individuals charged or convicted for their roles in the Capitol breach.
In a related statement, Trump’s transition team slammed the Department of Justice (DOJ), accusing it of political bias and vowing significant reforms.
“The failed witch hunts against President Trump have proven that the Democrat-controlled DOJ and other radical prosecutors are guilty of weaponising the justice system,” Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung said.
He added that Trump plans to restore fairness and due process to the justice system once he assumes office.
President Biden’s pardon for his 54-year-old son Hunter followed years of legal battles involving tax evasion and gun-related charges. Hunter was convicted in June for possessing a firearm while using crack cocaine and pleaded guilty in September to nine counts of failing to pay $1.4 million in taxes.
Despite previously claiming he would not intervene in his son’s legal troubles, Biden reversed course Sunday, calling Hunter’s prosecution “selective and unfair.” The sweeping pardon covers any federal offenses committed by Hunter from January 1, 2014, to December 1, 2024.
“In trying to break Hunter, they’ve tried to break me,” Biden said, adding, “Enough is enough.”
The pardon sparked immediate backlash from Republicans. Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) expressed his disappointment on social media, stating, “I’m shocked Pres Biden pardoned his son Hunter bc he said many many times he wouldn’t & I believed him. Shame on me.”
House Republicans, who have been investigating the Biden family’s alleged influence-peddling activities, condemned the decision.
“Joe Biden has lied from start to finish about his family’s corrupt influence peddling activities,” said Representative James Comer (R-Ky.), chairman of the House Oversight Committee.
Comer accused the president of using his power to shield his family from accountability. He added that the charges against Hunter were only a tiny part of what he called a more enormous “influence-peddling racket.”
As Trump prepares to take office in January, his pledge to overhaul the DOJ and his hints at mass pardons for January 6 defendants underscore the divisive nature of the ongoing legal and political battles between the two parties. Meanwhile, Biden’s decision to pardon his son is likely to remain a flashpoint in the final weeks of his presidency.
