President-elect Donald Trump has reacted to President Joe Biden pardon for his son, Hunter Biden, it could mean prison time for federal gun offenses and tax penalties.
Trump called the president’s decision a “miscarriage of justice,” pointing to those jailed for the Jan. 6 riots at the Capitol in a post on Sunday’s Truth Social.
“Does Joe’s apology to Hunter include the J-6 hostages, now imprisoned for years? Such a travesty and miscarriage of justice!” Trump wrote it.
President Joe Biden shakes hands with President-elect Donald Trump during a meeting in the Oval Office of the White House on Nov. 13, 2024, in Washington.
Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images
Trump’s reaction comes months after he indicated on Sunday that pardoning Hunter Biden would be something to consider if he were to return to the White House for a second term.
In an interview with a conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt In October, the president-elect said that he “would not remove it from the books” when asked about the apology to the president’s son.
“Look, unlike Joe Biden, despite what they did to me, where they went after me so viciously…and Hunter is a bad guy. There’s no question about it. He’s been a bad guy. All you needed to do was see the laptop from hell,” he said. he had
“But I think it’s very bad for our country,” Trump added.
In pardoning his son, President Biden spared Hunter the possibility of significant prison time stemming from convictions in two federal cases brought by special counsel David Weiss.
Over the summer, a jury found Hunter Biden guilty of three counts of purchasing and possessing a firearm while under the influence of drugs.
And in September, he agreed to plead guilty to nine tax-related charges, including three felonies, ahead of what was expected to be a long and tough trial.
On the tax charges, Hunter Biden faced 17 years in federal prison and $1.35 million in fines. His gun-related conviction could carry up to 25 years in prison. He anticipated sentencing in two cases in the coming weeks: Dec. 12 in Delaware on gun-related charges, and Dec. 16 in California on tax matters.
Trump’s reaction to President Biden’s decision to pardon his son comes just weeks after both They met in the Oval Office When Trump returns to the White House in January to demand a “smooth” transfer of power.
The two presidents, sitting by the fire, shook hands in front of reporters and news cameras on November 13.
“Politics is tough, and in many cases it’s not a very pretty world, but it’s a pretty world today,” Trump said at the time. “And I really appreciate it. Such a smooth transition, it’s going to be as smooth as it can be, and I really appreciate that, Joe.”
ABC News’ Lalee Ibssa, Kelsey Walsh and Soo Rin Kim contributed to this report.
