If elected, Donald Trump just said he’d do something nobody expected.
Pardon the son of his political rival, Hunter Biden.
That’s right. During an interview Thursday Trump said he’s open to pardoning Hunter Biden if he’s reelected — a significant reversal after years of lobbing attacks at the legal issues faced by the president’s son.
Trump says he will consider pardoning Hunter Biden.pic.twitter.com/OiVOAmvRMz
— Citizen Free Press (@CitizenFreePres) October 24, 2024
“I wouldn’t take it off the books,” Trump told conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt when asked if he would consider pardoning Hunter Biden.
Hunter Biden was found guilty in June of three felonies in a federal gun trial and pleaded guilty in September to federal tax charges.
“See, unlike Joe Biden, despite what they’ve done to me, where they’ve gone after me so viciously, despite what, and Hunter’s a bad boy,” Trump said.
“There’s no question about it. He’s been a bad boy. All you had to do is see the laptop from hell. But I happen to think it’s very bad for our country.”
Trump has long insisted that his multiple legal challenges are a form of political retribution — and cited Hunter Biden’s legal woes as an example of a liberal double standard under President Joe Biden’s Justice Department.
Trump has frequently criticized Hunter Biden online to the point that Hunter’s lawyers sent him a cease-and-desist letter, citing fear of inciting violence.
Joe Biden said he would not pardon his son, at least publically.
As for Trump, the possibility of pardoning Hunter remains out there.
“I always say take it easy, just relax,” the former president said. He added that he “could have gone after Hillary” Clinton — after calls to “lock her up” became central to his 2016 campaign — but, he said, “I made sure that didn’t happen.”
Hunter Biden did not immediately respond to a request for comment.