Nigel Farage has savaged US President Joe Biden over his “extraordinary” decision to pardon his son Hunter after saying multiple times that he would not do so.
Mr Biden’s announcement yesterday marks a dramatic reversal of his prior stance and a significant about-turn from promises to avoid using presidential powers for personal or family benefit.
Speaking on GB News, Reform UK leader, Mr Farage said he nevertheless did not believe Mr Trump and his administration would come seeking revenge, irrespective of Mr Biden’s controversial announcement.
He explained: “I suspect that Trump would be far less vengeful than the Democrats have been against him. That’s just not his nature.
“He wants to get on and do stuff and reform and change America.
Nevertheless, turning his attention to Mr Biden’s decision, the Clacton MP continued: “The idea that the pardon covers everything and anything that Hunter Biden has done over the course of the last 11 years, I think it’s truly extraordinary.
“And for Joe Biden to say that the prosecutions against Hunter were politically motivated. I mean, my goodness me, talk about pot kettle black, given what they put Trump through over the course of the last year or so.”
Mr Farage continued: “This is the end of a dying Democrat regime, and Hunter gets away with it.
“Nothing in America surprises me. Let’s just hope that Trump reforms things.
“I’m going to keep using that word because it’s vital. Let’s hope Trump does attempt to reform the American judicial system because it’s no longer fit for purpose.”
Hunter Biden, 54, was facing potential prison sentences for federal gun and tax offences. Still, the pardon spares him from punishment and shields him from other potential charges for offences dating back a decade.
The move directly contradicts repeated assurances from Biden that he would not intervene in his son’s legal troubles.
As recently as June, his father unequivocally told reporters that he would abide by the jury’s decisions in Hunter’s cases and would not grant clemency.
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre echoed this commitment as late as November. However, Mr Biden yesterday cited his belief that “raw politics” had tainted the justice process and resulted in a miscarriage of justice.
This pardon ends Hunter Biden’s protracted legal saga, which began in 2020 when he revealed he was under federal investigation.
His tax charges carried a potential sentence of up to 17 years, while his gun-related charges were punishable by up to 25 years.
Although federal guidelines suggested a lighter sentence, this pardon eradicates any possibility of jail time. The president’s sweeping clemency also protects Hunter from further prosecution for offences committed between 2014 and 2024.
Joe Biden’s decision has drawn sharp criticism from political opponents and raised questions about his legacy.
Republicans, who have long targeted Hunter Biden’s controversial overseas business dealings and personal struggles, accused the president of abusing his office to shield his family.
Representative James Comer, a key figure in congressional investigations into the Biden family, said: “It’s unfortunate that, rather than come clean about their decades of wrongdoing, President Biden and his family continue to do everything they can to avoid accountability.”
Joe Biden is preparing to leave office in January 2025 after Vice President Kamala Harris was defeated by Donald Trump in the recent election.
Mr Trump swiftly criticised the decision via his Truth social media platform, declaring it “such an abuse and miscarriage of Justice.”
Referring to people convicted after the violent insurrection at the Capital on January 6, 2021, he added: “Does the Pardon given by Joe to Hunter include the J-6 Hostages, who have now been imprisoned for years?”
Hunter Biden, meanwhile, expressed gratitude for the pardon and pledged to use his second chance to aid others struggling with addiction.
His legal team has already filed to dismiss ongoing cases, arguing that the pardon nullifies all proceedings.
