'Wrong,' 'unwise': Senate Democrats rebuke Biden over Hunter pardon

Multiple Senate Democrats have rebuked President Biden's decision to pardon his son Hunter Biden, calling it improper and saying it risks further eroding trust in government.

“President Biden’s decision put personal interest ahead of duty and further erodes Americans’ faith that the justice system is fair and equal for all,” Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) posted on the social platform X on Monday.

Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.) called the pardon "wrong."

“A president's family and allies shouldn't get special treatment,” Peters said in his own X post on Monday. “This was an improper use of power, it erodes trust in our government, and it emboldens others to bend justice to suit their interests.”

Sen. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) wrote in a post that “President Biden’s pardon of his son Hunter is, as the action of a loving father, understandable—but as the action of our nation’s Chief Executive, unwise.”

“Presidents have the right to pardon who they want, but I fundamentally believe pardons should be used to right the wrongs of the past – not for family members or to hand out political favors,” Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) said in an emailed statement sent to The Hill on Monday.

“I expect to hear the same outrage from Republicans about President Trump’s use of pardons to help his supporters and well-connected donors,” she added.

The president announced Sunday that he had pardoned his son, arguing Hunter Biden had been prosecuted for political reasons. Hunter Biden faced three felony charges on his purchase and possession of a gun in 2018.

“No reasonable person who looks at the facts of Hunter’s cases can reach any other conclusion than Hunter was singled out only because he is my son – and that is wrong,” President Biden said.

Republicans decried the decision to pardon Hunter Biden, with House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) referring to it as abusing the justice system.

“President Biden insisted many times he would never pardon his own son for his serious crimes,” Johnson said on X Monday. “But last night he suddenly granted a ‘Full and Unconditional Pardon’ for any and all offenses that Hunter committed for more than a decade! Trust in our justice system has been almost irreparably damaged by the Bidens and their use and abuse of it.”

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis was one of the first Democrats to criticize Biden's pardon.

“This is a bad precedent that could be abused by later Presidents and will sadly tarnish his reputation,” Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D) wrote on X. “When you become President, your role is Pater familias of the nation.”

The White House has defended Hunter Biden’s pardon, with press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre telling reporters on Air Force One that the president’s decision came about due to him thinking President-elect Trump would not give up on the prosecution of his son in the next administration.

“One of the reasons the president did the pardon is because it didn’t seem like his political opponents would let go of it, it didn’t seem like they would move on. And so, this is why this president took this action,” Jean-Pierre said.

The Hill has reached out to the White House, the Republican National Committee and the Trump transition team for further comment.

Updated: 5:34 p.m. EDT