White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre faced the press Monday for the first time after President Joe Biden pardoned his son Hunter — an outcome both Jean-Pierre and Biden had previously repeatedly insisted wouldn’t happen.
One reporter asked Jean-Pierre if those prior statements denying a pardon “could be seen as lies” to Americans.
“One thing the president believes is to be always be truthful with the American people,” said Jean-Pierre, saying repeatedly that Biden “wrestled with [the decision].”
Reporters peppered Jean-Pierre with questions about the pardon and why Joe Biden decided to proceed with it this weekend, primarily repeating many points in the president’s statement from Sunday evening, such as Hunter being “singled out politically.”
The press secretary additionally raised the possibility of further pardons, saying Biden is “thinking through that process very thoroughly.”
“There’s a process in place, obviously,” Jean-Pierre told the media. “And so, I’m not going to get ahead of the president on this, but you could expect more announcements, more pardons, clemency at the end of this term.”
Jean-Pierre maintained Hunter was targeted “because his last name was Biden because he was the president’s son.”
“And so, the president believed enough is enough,” said Jean-Pierre. “And the president took action, and he also believes that they tried to break his son in order to break him. That’s what we saw.”
Jean-Pierre took questions from the media while onboard Air Force One én route to Luanda, Angola. The president was taking a three-day trip to highlight a railway project backed by the U.S. in Angola, Zambia, and Congo that he has pushed as a new approach to countering the dominance of Africa’s crucial minerals and China’s influence.
Since July 2023, the press secretary has denied that the president was considering a pardon six times. These denials came even as Hunter Biden was being prosecuted.
Jean-Pierre last repeated that her answer hadn’t changed in November, shortly after President-elect Donald Trump won the 2024 presidential election.
“We’ve been asked that question multiple times. Our answer stands, which is no,” said Jean-Pierre at the time.
Jean-Pierre defended the president’s decision to pardon his son
Jean-Pierre defended President Joe Biden’s decision to pardon his son Hunter on Monday.
“He said he came to this decision this weekend, and he said he wrestled with this and, because he believes in the justice system, but he also believes that the raw politics infected in the process and led to a miscarriage of justice,” said Jean-Pierre to reporters onboard Air Force One.
Jean-Pierre added: “Hunter was singled out because his last name was Biden, and he was the president’s son. That’s what we saw. And so, the president believed enough is enough, and the president took action, and he also believes that they tried to break his son in order to break him.”
Hunter Biden, President Joe Biden’s only surviving son, was found guilty in June on federal gun charges and pleaded guilty in September in a separate tax evasion case.
In September, reporters asked Jean-Pierre if the guilty plea changed the president’s mind about not pardoning his son.
“It’s no — it’s still no,” said Jean-Pierre.
During a November 7 White House briefing, Jean-Pierre again dismissed a question about whether Joe Biden planned to pardon his son.
“We’ve been asked that question multiple times. Our answer stands, which is no,” said Jean-Pierre.
Questions about whether the president would pardon his son have swirled since last year. Prior to the jury reaching its verdict in June, Biden stated he would accept the decision and not use his presidential power if his son were to be convicted. A few days later, President Biden also told the press he wouldn’t commute his son’s sentence in the gun case, either.
Joe Biden’s assertions came before he exited the 2024 presidential race.
Sunday, the president issued a “full and unconditional pardon” for any offenses Hunter Biden has “committed or may have committed or taken part in during the period from January 1, 2014, through December 1, 2024,” according to a statement from the White House.
In a statement explaining his decision, 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 led to a miscarriage of justice—and once I made this decision this weekend, there was no sense in delaying it further. I hope Americans will understand why a father and a President would come to this decision.”
When asked Monday about the pardon, First Lady Jill Biden said, “Of course, I support the pardon of my son.”
