Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., asserted that President-elect Donald Trump should not pardon first son Hunter Biden, saying it would set a “terrible example.”
Johnson made the comments in an interview on NewsNation’s “Dan Abrams Live.” Johnson ostensibly was reacting to Trump’s comments from a few weeks ago, when he suggested that a pardon for Hunter Biden, the son of outgoing President Joe Biden, wasn’t “off the books.”
“I don’t think he should pardon Hunter. I think we need to be very careful about having a dual system of justice where, you know, the powerful or the sons and daughters of the powerful get off scot-free,” Johnson told NewsNation.
Hunter Biden is scheduled for two sentencing hearings in December, one for his conviction on felony gun charges (Dec. 4) and the other for his guilty plea on federal tax charges (Dec. 16). He faces up to 25 years in prison.
Trump told Hugh Hewitt late last month that even though Hunter Biden has “been a bad boy,” ultimately, “I happen to think it's very bad for our country."
Johnson disagrees on that point.
“I don’t think President Biden should pardon him. I don’t think President Trump should pardon him, but I think by President Trump signaling that he might commute the sentence or do something to lessen it, hopefully that will convince Joe Biden not to pardon his son,” he said. “I think that would be a terrible example.”
Hunter Biden was convicted in June on charges of lying about his use of illegal narcotics while purchasing a firearm in 2018. He then pleaded guilty to all nine federal tax charges in early September, the day that jury selection was set to begin.
President Biden repeatedly said he would not pardon his son nor commute any prison time he might get sentenced to, and the White House affirmed that again Thursday.
“Our answer stands, which is no,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters.