Trump asks if Biden will now pardon the January 6 rioters after U-turning on son Hunter: ‘Such an abuse and miscarriage of justice’
Donald Trump has demanded President Joe Biden should pardon those imprisoned for the January 6 Capital riots after he released his son from likely jail time.
Hunter Biden pleaded guilty in September to federal tax charges in federal court in Los Angeles and was due to be sentenced on December 16 under Mark C. Scarsi, a judge nominated by Republican President-elect Donald Trump.
A jury found him guilty in June of making false statements on a gun background check; he was due to be sentenced for those charges this month as well.
However, Biden claimed the charges against his son, who has struggled with drug addiction but has been sober for five years, were politically motivated. Late last night, Hunter Biden’s attorney filed to dismiss the indictments against him.
President-elect Trump called for the release of the “J-6 protesters”, a reference to Trump supporters who stormed the Capitol building after he was defeated by Biden in the 2020 Presidential election.
He wrote on social media: “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.”
Over 600 serving jail sentences for storming the Capitol building, with federal prosecutors having convicted more than 1,100 Capitol rioters.
An election interference case and classified documents case against Trump were dropped after his victory over Vice President Kamala Harris.
There is a convention that the Department of Justice (DoJ) does not investigate a sitting president. Charges could be refiled after Trump finishes his second term.
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The White House defended President Biden’s decision to pardon Hunter, and said the President believed his political opponents would have kept persecuting his son going forward.
White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters on Air Force One during a trip to Angola: “They would continue to go after his son.”
Jean-Pierre said this was not the first time a President had pardoned a family member. Biden said in June that he would not pardon his son. In an interview with ABC News, Biden replied “yes” when asked if he would rule out pardoning Hunter.
Jean-Pierre declined to give details on why or how the President had changed his mind.
It comes as the Democrat-led US Senate and Republican House of Representatives return this week for a showdown over government spending, disaster relief and defense policy before Trump brings in a new era of single-party rule next month.
The main challenge for lawmakers over the next three weeks is to avert a pre-Christmas partial government shutdown by striking a bipartisan deal to fund federal agencies beyond December 20, when a current stopgap spending measure is due to expire.
The debate will include a nearly $100billion emergency disaster relief request from President Joe Biden for areas of the US Southeast hit by hurricanes Helene and Milton, and other communities struck by natural disasters.