Biden claims he ‘meant what I said’ with promise not to pledge Hunter, hopes it doesn’t set precedent

President Biden continues to insist he “meant what I said” when he vowed not to pardon his son Hunter, admitting in a new interview that he hopes it doesn’t set a precedent for future presidents to “abuse” the pardon power.

The the president has repeatedly promised not to pardon his son before reversing course last month and granting a pardon to Hunter for all crimes against the United States that he committed or may have committed between January 1, 2014 and December 1, 2024. He also spared him a federal sentence which include federal tax charges and felony weapons charges.

The move even infuriated him some of Biden’s supporters after being praised by Democrats and media liberals for upholding the integrity of the justice system by not using his influence to help his own family.

In the exit USA Today interview released Wednesday, he defended one of his most controversial moves in office while appearing to forget the timeline of his son’s actions, according to the transcript.

HUNTER BIDEN PARDON: MEDIA DEALS LATEST BLOW TO CREDIBILITY WITH POOR REPORTING OF BROKEN PROMISE

“Speaking of the pardon, any parent can understand why they would want to protect their son,” USA Today’s Susan Page told Biden. “Do you worry that your pardon of Hunter sets a precedent for future presidents? A precedent that could be open to abuse?”

“I hope not, because I meant what I said when they asked me if I would pardon my son,” Biden said. “But then I discovered two factors. First, that he had paid all his taxes. He had paid them late. He had struggled with a drug problem. And he beat it. He had been clean and sober for almost six years. This was in the ’80s. , excuse me, the 2000s and… But, that was a long time ago?

“And that there were hundreds of people with only $3, $4, or $500,000 who carried on civilly. He paid all his taxes. He paid his back taxes. He paid… He was late. He should have paid on time. And that he was on court during a plea deal.”

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Biden said he jumped in because he thought his son was subject to double standards. One of Hunter’s convictions was for purchasing a handgun in 2018 and lying on a form claiming he was not using or addicted to drugs at the time.

“And then the other thing I found out was that when buying a gun, at that time, you had to sign a form if you were under the influence of anything,” the president told USA Today. “Well, I don’t even know if they got the right to sign the form. But the point was, no one was ever tried for that. No one. And they potentially put him in jail for X years for it. He had it for 10 days. No guns , without any movement and no one is destined for it.”

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Biden added in the interview that he was considering preemptive pardons for prominent Trump foes such as Anthony Fauci and former Republican Rep. Liz Cheney.

“It depends a little on who they put in which positions,” he said. President-elect Donald Trump has chosen Kash Patel to lead the FBI and Pam Bondi to head the Justice Department, although they will have to be confirmed by the Senate.

Biden’s pardon of Hunter was defended in some quarters as a natural move by someone protecting his own family, but many prominent figures derided it as a cowardly flip-flop that would harm the White House and the president’s legacy.

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“Everybody looks stupid,” co-host Pod Save America iex-Obama aide Tommy Vietor said at that time. “They all look like they’re full of shit. And Republicans will use that to argue that it was politics as usual when Democrats were warning about Trump’s corruption or threat to governance or threat to democracy.”

Biden could not have been more clear last year that he would not pardon his son. Asked by ABC’s David Muir to rule it out, he replied, “Yes.”