President Joe Biden’s decision to pardon his son, Hunter Biden, has sparked criticism, particularly after hosts and guests on CNN and MSNBC repeatedly assured viewers that no pardon would be granted. Biden defended the pardon in a Sunday statement, alleging political targeting of his son, but the reversal has drawn scrutiny for undermining earlier commitments touted by the networks.
- CNN hosts, including Abby Phillip and Kaitlan Collins, highlighted Biden’s pledge as a “major commitment” and “presidential” prior to his reversal.
- MSNBC contributors praised Biden’s earlier stance, contrasting it with former President Donald Trump’s criticism of the justice system.
- Hunter Biden’s legal troubles included a jury conviction in Delaware for gun charges and a guilty plea on federal tax charges.
- Analysts like Neal Katyal and S.E. Cupp previously commended Biden for adhering to the rule of law, citing it as a strong example of democratic principles.
- The pardon has prompted backlash, as critics accuse Biden of failing to uphold the impartiality he and his allies had publicly emphasized.
CNN And MSNBC Repeatedly Reassured Viewers Biden Wouldn’t Pardon Hunter
Hosts and guests on CNN and MSNBC repeatedly told viewers that President Joe Biden would not grant his son, Hunter Biden, a pardon before he reversed course and did so on Sunday.
Biden announced the pardon in a statement released Sunday night, claiming Hunter had been “singled out” due to being the president’s son while alleging that “political opponents” were seeking to “break” both him and his son in the statement. The hosts and guests on the left-leaning networks touted Biden’s “major commitment” to viewers, calling it “presidential” and an example of “decency.”
“The president has ruled out pardoning his son,” CNN host Abby Phillip told a guest who predicted a pardon for Hunter Biden in a montage posted on X by Grabien founder Tom Elliot.
“A major commitment from the president, accepting the outcome of the trial, and also pledging not to pardon his son,” CNN host Kaitlan Collins said later in the video.
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Other hosts and guests on the liberal-leaning networks praised Biden for the pledge not to pardon his son, contrasting it to President-elect Donald Trump’s criticism of the criminal cases against him.
“The contrast is profound. To sit there and say, well, I’m not going to intervene in the legal process, and I wouldn’t pardon my son,” CNN analyst S.E. Cupp said. “One side, Democrats and Joe Biden protecting the justice system, and on the other, Republicans and Trump protecting Trump.”
“He is not pardoning his son, which he could do. These are federal charges,” former federal prosecutor Andrew Weissmann told MSNBC host Nicolle Wallace in the montage, adding, “He is not doing that. He is not doing it because he is living what it means to have a rule of law in this country.”
A jury in Delaware convicted Hunter Biden on three felony gun charges in connection with the purchase of a Colt .38-caliber revolver in 2018. The president’s son entered a guilty plea on federal tax charges in September in a federal court in California.
“I think Joe Biden has a chance here to stand up for the rule of law to say the rule — the law is the law, no matter who it is, no matter if it’s Trump or Biden,” MSNBC guest Molly Jong-Fast said later in the montage. “And remember, part of Trumpism’s dangerousness is that it tears down institutions, important institutions of our democracy. So there is an opportunity here for Biden to say, you know, the jury found him guilty. This is how it’s supposed to work. Period. Paragraph. End of story.” (RELATED: ‘Legal Death Wish’: Jonathan Turley Says Hunter Biden Likely Headed To Jail)
““For years, these conservatives have been crowing about a politicized Justice Department, Biden politicizing it and so on. What happened today? The Justice Department convicted the president’s own son, his only living son. You heard the president say he would accept the outcome of the case. I know no other word for that, but presidential.” Neal Katyal told MSNBC host Jonathan Capehart during an MSNBC appearance in the montage, with Capehart responding, “Mm-hmm. He even went so far as to say he wouldn’t pardon his son. That’s how much respect he has for the system.”
The video ended with MSNBC contributor Mike Barnicle praising Biden’s vow to not pardon his son as a “gift to democracy.”
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All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.