Hunter Biden calls pardon 'not good' for America

Hunter Biden has told the BBC he believes his presidential pardon was "not good" for America or his father’s legacy, calling it an act of parental love that drew sharp criticism.

In a rare interview with BBC Newsnight, Hunter Biden defended the December 2024 pardon granted by President Joe Biden, which covered his federal gun conviction, a tax case, and any potential federal crimes between 2014 and 2024. He acknowledged the decision was easy to criticise but argued it was rooted in a father’s instinct to protect his son. “What would you have thought of my dad if he did not do that for me?” he said. While not addressing whether the pardon helped or hurt the country, Hunter Biden insisted he was simply grateful. He also claimed he and his father had never discussed the possibility beforehand, noting such talks would inevitably become public.

During the emotional interview, Hunter Biden spoke about his father’s declining health, revealing that President Biden’s cancer has spread and is now “very painful” and “very debilitating.” He described watching the June 2024 presidential debate—where Joe Biden’s faltering performance ended his re-election bid—as a moment of shock and concern. “I was shocked,” he said. “I knew something was wrong.” Hunter Biden has previously linked his father’s poor debate showing to exhaustion from campaign travel and has questioned whether early signs of illness may have played a role.

The pardon, which President Biden framed as correcting what he called “selectively and unfairly prosecuted” cases, drew immediate backlash from Republicans who accused the White House of using power for personal gain. Hunter Biden, who has faced years of legal and personal struggles including addiction recovery, used the interview to express pride in his father as both a leader and a family man. “He’s the centre of our family,” he said. “The best father, the best husband, the best grandfather.” The pardon may shield Hunter Biden from further federal prosecution, but the fallout over ethics, fairness, and political optics continues to shadow the Biden family.