President Biden's decision to pardon his son Hunter has stirred controversy among Americans, with only 20% approving of the move, according to a recent poll. The pardon, which followed Hunter's convictions on felony gun and tax charges, was met with disapproval from about half of adults surveyed.
Approximately 18% of adults neither approved nor disapproved of the decision, while 8% stated they did not have enough information to form an opinion. The poll revealed that Democrats were more likely to approve of the pardon compared to Republicans and Independents, with 38% of Democrats supporting the decision.
On the other hand, around 27% of Democrats expressed disapproval of the about-face. The majority of Republicans (80%) and a significant portion of Independents (51%) disapproved of the pardon.
President Biden had previously stated on multiple occasions that he would not pardon his son if convicted by a jury. However, he issued a sweeping pardon for Hunter on December 1, following his convictions earlier in the year.
Hunter Biden pleaded guilty to federal tax charges in September and was convicted of three felony gun charges in June. The president defended his decision by claiming that Hunter was unfairly targeted due to their relationship and suggested there was an attempt to undermine him through his son.
Following the pardon, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre faced questions from reporters regarding the apparent contradiction between Biden's earlier statements and the subsequent pardon. Jean-Pierre emphasized the president's commitment to honesty and transparency with the American people.
