President Joe Biden isn’t letting the persistent threats from the MAGA world get under his skin.
When asked on Friday whether he would use his presidential pardon power to preemptively pardon himself, Biden was caught off guard. “Well, what would I pardon myself for?” he responded. “No, I have no contemplation of pardoning myself for anything. I didn’t do anything wrong.”
This question came as Biden was busy issuing a series of pardons and commutations, including one for his son, Hunter Biden. The pardon was in response to ongoing charges related to tax and gun issues, which President Biden believes are politically motivated and will likely intensify under the incoming Trump administration.
“From the day I took office, I said I would not interfere with the Justice Department’s decision-making, and I kept my word even as I have watched my son being selectively, and unfairly, prosecuted,” President Biden explained in a statement about pardoning Hunter. “Without aggravating factors like use in a crime or multiple purchases, people are almost never charged for filling out a gun form wrong… It’s clear Hunter was treated differently.”
Biden also pointed out that these legal actions against his son were an effort to punish him as well, driven by political opposition.
“Hunter was singled out only because he is my son – and that is wrong,” Biden stated. “In trying to break Hunter, they’ve tried to break me – and there’s no reason to believe it will stop here. Enough is enough.”
Meanwhile, former President Trump has continued to paint Democrats as “enemies from within,” even suggesting the possibility of jailing political opponents. Trump has also expressed frustration about his own legal cases, calling them a “terrible precedent” in a recent interview with Newsmax.
“It’s a terrible, terrible path that they’re leading us to,” Trump warned. “It’s very possible that it’s going to have to happen to them.”
In a political climate full of tension and threats, both sides continue to make bold moves. But President Biden is staying calm, keeping his focus, and standing firm in the face of it all.
