Three former aides to President Obama criticized President Biden for pardoning his son Hunter after previously stating he would not do so. The aides expressed frustration on their podcast, highlighting the potential negative impact on the Democratic Party's reputation.
One of the aides, Vietor, acknowledged the human aspect of Biden's decision but criticized the president for making his defenders appear foolish and dishonest. He expressed concern that Republicans could use this incident to paint Democrats as typical, lying politicians, leading to a general distrust of all politicians.
Another aide, Favreau, expressed his disappointment in Biden's choice to pardon his son instead of other individuals like Dr. Anthony Fauci. He admitted feeling deceived by Biden's earlier assurance that he would not pardon his son.
The pardon came after Hunter Biden's convictions in federal tax and gun-related cases earlier this year. The pardon covers all potential crimes committed by Hunter Biden from 2014 to 2024, sparing him from upcoming sentencing.
The aides feared that the broad pardon could be used by conservatives to suggest Biden was protecting himself from allegations of benefiting from his son's business dealings during his vice presidency. They emphasized that while there was no evidence of such profiting, the perception could harm the Democratic Party's reputation.
Overall, the former Obama aides criticized Biden for damaging his own and the Democratic Party's reputation with the pardon. They suggested that Biden should have framed the pardon as a preemptive measure against potential political targeting by his opponents.
