Trump suggests freeing Jan 6 rioters and slams ‘miscarriage of Justice’ after Biden pardons son Hunter: Live
Biden’s announcement came after Trump unveiled more administration picks, nominating Tiffany’s father-in-law Massad Boulos as senior adviser on Arab and Middle Eastern affairs and Charles Kushner as ambassador to France
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Donald Trump has suggested he will free the January 6 Capitol rioters as he slammed President Joe Biden’s decision to pardon his son Hunter Biden as a “miscarriage of Justice.”
On Sunday, Biden announced he had pardoned his son following his federal gun conviction, saying Hunter had been “selectively, and unfairly, prosecuted” by the Justice Department.
Biden previously insisted he would not pardon his son.
Trump blasted his rival on Truth Social: “Does the Pardon given by Joe to Hunter include the J-6 Hostages, who have now been imprisoned for years? Such an abuse and miscarriage of Justice!”
Biden’s decision has divided critics. Colorado’s Democratic Governor Jared Polis said he was “disappointed that he put his family ahead of the country” while Watergate prosecutor Jill Wine-Banks said Hunter “would not ever be prosecuted for the gun crime but for his last name.”
In other news, Trump looks set to fire the head of the FBI after tipping MAGA loyalist Kash Patel for the role. He also nominated people in his family’s orbit to join his administration including Tiffany’s father-in-law Massad Boulos as senior adviser on Arab and Middle Eastern affairs and Charles Kushner as ambassador to France.
President Biden issues pardon for son Hunter Biden despite pledging not to do so
Trump slams Hunter Biden’s presidential pardon as an ‘an abuse and miscarriage of Justice’
Democrat Chris Murphy says ‘no question’ Biden refusal to drop out hurt Harris
Bernie Sanders praises DOGE boss Elon Musk over defense spending
Fox News host bungles announcement about Hunter Biden pardon
Fox News host Charlie Hurt bungled the network’s announcement about President Joe Biden pardoning his son Hunter Biden.
On Sunday night, Hurt announced live on air the breaking news about Biden’s decision.
But, he slipped up, incorrectly saying that it was Donald Trump, not Biden, granting the pardon.
“NBC News is reporting that President Trump has decided he will pardon his son Hunter,” he said.
“This comes ahead of… what did I say?” he then asked, realizing his mistake.
Jill Biden to unveil White House holiday decor and deliver holiday message
First Lady Jill Biden will unveil her White House holiday theme and decor and deliver her holiday message to the American people today.
This will mark Dr Biden’s final time taking part in the holiday tradition as she and President Joe Biden will leave the White House in January.
Last year, the theme was the “magic, wonder and joy” of the season and was inspired by the excitement that children experience during the festive season.
However, it garnered a mixed reaction with some social media users trashing her Christmas video as “tacky” and likening it to Melania Trump’s.
Here’s a reminder of what happened last year:
Jill Biden’s ‘tacky’ Christmas video mocked - and compared to Melania Trump’s
Dr Biden previously said she wanted everyone who visits the White House during the holidays to feel like a kid again
Trump faces deadline to argue why hush money conviction should be tossed
Donald Trump’s attorneys are facing a deadline today to file court papers arguing why they believe his criminal hush money conviction in New York City should be tossed following his election victory.
Trump’s attorneys have argued that the conviction and sentencing of the president-elect will disrupt the “orderly transition of executive power” and be “uniquely destabilizing” to the country.
The judge delayed Trump’s sentencing indefinitely and gave Trump’s legal team a deadline of December 2 to file their arguments.
Catch up on the latest in the case here:
Trump’s hush money sentencing indefinitely postponed as judge considers tossing case
Trump was found guilty on 34 felony counts after a years-long legal saga involving his 2016 campaign
Watch: Trump's new FBI director says he wants to make Hoover Building 'museum of deep state'
What did Hunter Biden do? The criminal cases explained
Hunter Biden was convicted in June of lying on a federal form when he purchased a gun in 2018 and swore that he wasn’t a drug user. Just months later, he pleaded guilty to charges accusing him of a scheme to avoid paying at least $1.4 million in taxes. Prosecutors alleged he lived lavishly while flouting the tax law, spending his cash on things like strippers and luxury hotels — “in short, everything but his taxes.”
Both cases stemmed from a period in Hunter Biden’s life in which he struggled with drug and alcohol abuse before becoming sober in 2019.
After the gun trial aired salacious and unflattering details about Hunter Biden’s life, the president’s son said he agreed to plead guilty to the tax charges to spare his family another embarrassing criminal trial.
The tax trial was also expected to showcase details about Hunter Biden’s foreign business dealings, which Republicans have seized on to try to paint the Biden family as corrupt.
Hunter Biden was supposed to be sentenced this month in the two cases by judges in California and Delaware who were nominated to the bench by Trump.
Special counsel David Weiss’ office had not said whether prosecutors had planned to seek prison time. The tax charges carried up to 17 years behind bars and the gun charges were punishable by up to 25 years in prison, though federal sentencing guidelines were expected to call for far less time and it was possible the younger Biden would have avoided prison time entirely.
Democratic governor accuses Biden of ‘choosing family over country’ as he pardons son Hunter
Colorado’s Democratic Governor Jared Polis has slammed President Joe Biden for choosing “his family ahead of the country” after he pardoned his son, Hunter Biden, despite previously stating he would not do so.
The president sent shockwaves through the political world on Sunday night when he announced his decision to grant his son clemency, claiming that he had been “selectively, and unfairly, prosecuted” by the Justice Department.
“No reasonable person who looks at the facts of Hunter’s cases can reach any other conclusion than Hunter was singled out only because he is my son – and that is wrong,” Biden said.
Polis, who publicly called for Biden to step off the Democratic party’s ticket in July, was among the first Democrats to voice their disapproval.
The Colorado governor used Biden’s own words against him following Donald Trump’s conviction on 34 felony counts in May, stating that “no one is above the law.”
Read more...
Democrat accuses Biden of ‘choosing family over country’ as he pardons son Hunter
Others welcomed Biden’s decision, arguing that Hunter had been unfairly treated by the Justice Department solely because he is the president’s son
Former US attorney general says Hunter’s pardon is ‘warranted’
Former US attorney general Eric Holder says that Hunter Biden’s pardon by his father was “warranted.”
“Here’s the reality,” he wrote on X. “No USAtty (attorney) would have charged this case given the underlying facts. After a 5 year investigation the facts as discovered only made that clear.
“Had his name been Joe Smith the resolution would have been - fundamentally and more fairly - a declination. Pardon warranted.”
Holder went on to take aim at Donald Trump’s nomination for FBI Director, writing: “Ask yourself a vastly more important question. Do you really think Kash Patel is qualified to lead the world’s preeminent law enforcement investigative organization? Obvious answer: hell no.”
Have other presidents pardoned their family members or friends?
Yes. In his final weeks in office, Trump pardoned Charles Kushner, the father of his son-in law, Jared Kushner. He also pardoned multiple allies convicted in special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation.
Trump over the weekend announced plans to nominate the elder Kushner to be the U.S. envoy to France in his next administration.
President Bill Clinton pardoned his half-brother Roger Clinton in 2001, after he had completed a prison term for drug charges.
Clinton also pardoned his former business partner Susan McDougal, who had been sentenced to two years in prison for her role in the Whitewater real estate deal.
Trump meets with Netanyahu’s wife Sara Netanyahu
Donald Trump was seen meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s wife Sara Netanyahu at his Florida golf club on Sunday.
The meeting comes as Senator Lindsey Graham has said that the president-elect wants to secure an Israel-Gaza ceasefire before he takes office.
According to Graham, Trump “wants a deal to free the hostages and end the war as soon as possible, preferably before he takes office,” Axios reported.
“Trump is more determined than ever to release the hostages and supports a ceasefire that includes a hostage deal,” Graham told Axios. “He wants to see it happening now.”
“I want people in Israel and in the region to know that Trump is focused on the hostages issue. He wants the killing to stop and the fighting to end.”
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments