Former President Biden’s son has been a thorn in the side of Democrats for years. It doesn’t look like he’s going anywhere anytime soon.
Because Hunter Biden broke his silence and confessed something truly dumbfounding.
Hunter Biden Attributes Father’s Pardon to Trump’s Election Victory
Hunter Biden stated that his father, then President Joe Biden, issued him a sweeping presidential pardon in December 2024 due to President Donald Trump’s election victory in November 2024, according to an interview with journalist Tommy Christopher.
The pardon, one of the broadest in recent U.S. history, has reignited debates about executive clemency and its political implications.
Trump’s Win as Pardon Catalyst
“Donald Trump went and changed everything,” Hunter Biden said. “And I don’t think that I need to make much of an argument about why it changed everything.” He claimed that without Trump’s win, his father would not have granted the pardon, asserting confidence in winning his legal battles through appeals.
“My dad would not have pardoned me if President Trump had not won, and the reason that he would not have pardoned me is because I was certain that in a normal circumstance of the appeals [I would have won],” he said. Hunter suggested that the pardon was motivated by concerns that a Trump administration might target him to politically retaliate against his father.
Scope and Controversy of the Pardon
The pardon covered potential criminal activity from January 2014 to December 2024, sparing Hunter Biden from federal tax charges in California, to which he pleaded guilty, and gun charges in Delaware, following a conviction in June 2024.
It also extended to other Biden family members, drawing bipartisan criticism as Joe Biden had repeatedly vowed not to pardon his son, citing trust in the justice system.
Hunter acknowledged his privileged position, stating, “I realize how lucky I am; I realize that I got something that almost no one would have gotten.” The White House issued a statement at the time of the pardon, with Joe Biden explaining it as a measure to protect his family from potential political persecution under the incoming administration.
Legal Saga and Political Fallout
The pardon concluded a high profile legal saga that fueled a House GOP impeachment inquiry into Joe Biden, which examined $27 million in payments from foreign entities in Ukraine, China, and Romania to Hunter Biden and his associates during and after Joe Biden’s vice presidency from 2009 to 2017.
Former Biden White House Chief of Staff Jeff Zients testified in September 2025 that Hunter participated in pardon discussions in late 2024, contradicting Hunter’s July 2024 podcast claim of minimal involvement in the administration.
Hunter also criticized Democrats for disloyalty to his father, linking their push for Joe Biden to withdraw from the presidential race in July 2024, amid concerns over his mental acuity, to the party’s poor performance in the 2024 election. The pardon has raised questions about the use of executive power, with legal scholars noting its broad scope could set a precedent for future administrations.
