President Joe Biden's decision to pardon his son Hunter has stirred controversy among former senior aides who are questioning the president's earlier statements about not considering such a move. The pardon, announced in a lengthy statement on Sunday, has left some former White House officials feeling frustrated.
Despite President Biden and his aides repeatedly stating that a pardon for Hunter Biden was not on the table, multiple officials who worked closely with the president revealed that they had anticipated this decision. One ex-senior West Wing aide expressed disbelief at the pretense surrounding the issue, stating, 'Anyone who was even close to the top knew that he was probably going to do this. Why did we pretend otherwise?'
Another former senior White House official admitted that they and their colleagues had been certain that Joe Biden would eventually pardon Hunter. The inevitability of this outcome was painfully obvious to many within the administration.
President Biden's sudden reversal over the weekend and the issuance of a full and unconditional pardon for his son have left some Democrats questioning why he had maintained a stance that seemed contrary to what was widely expected. A former administration official suggested that a less righteous approach could have been more appropriate, with a focus on not actively considering the pardon rather than outright denying it.
The ex-senior West Wing aide also proposed that President Biden could have been more transparent in his response, leaving the possibility of a pardon open rather than definitively ruling it out. The sentiment among some former aides is that a more honest and open approach to the issue could have been more effective in managing expectations.
