Texas Democratic Representative Jasmine Crockett is calling out Republicans who've criticized President Joe Biden over his pardon of his son Hunter.
Biden granted “a full and unconditional” pardon to his son, Hunter Biden, covering federal gun and tax charges. Hunter Biden had been scheduled to be sentenced for his federal gun conviction on December 12 and for his tax case just four days later.
In June, Hunter Biden was found guilty in Delaware on three felony counts tied to his 2018 purchase of a handgun. On the purchase form, he falsely stated that he was not a user of illicit drugs. In September, he pleaded guilty to nine federal tax charges in Los Angeles, choosing an “open” plea, which allows a judge to determine sentencing.
The tax charges carried a maximum penalty of 17 years in prison, while the gun charges could have resulted in up to 25 years. However, federal sentencing guidelines likely would have resulted in a much shorter term, and there was a possibility that Hunter Biden might have avoided prison time altogether.
The pardon applies to all “offenses against the United States which he has committed or may have committed or taken part in during the period from January 1, 2014, through December 1, 2024, including but not limited to all offenses charged or prosecuted.”
The GOP—which used Hunter Biden's offenses in a failed attempt to impeach his father—has been up in arms since then, accusing Biden of abusing his pardon power. However, Crockett shut that down in an appearance on MSNBC, noting that “anyone who wants to clutch their pearls” needs to "take a look in the mirror" over their support for Trump.
She said:
"I won't pretend to speak for the entire caucus but, 'Way to go, Joe.' Let me be the first one to congratulate the president for deciding to do this because at the end of the day, we now have a 34-count convicted felon that is about to walk into the White House."
"For anyone who wants to clutch their pearls now because he decided he was going to pardon his son, I would say, 'Take a look in the mirror' because we also know that when it comes to this Cabinet, this Cabinet has more people accused of sexual assault than any incoming Cabinet probably ever in the history of America."
“So we are living in unprecedented times and we know that this was completely political as someone who serves on the [House] Oversight Committee, this was gamesmanship the entire time.”
You can hear what she said in the video below.
Crockett: For anyone who wants to clutch their pearls because he was going to pardon his son, I would say take a look in the mirror because we also know that when it comes to this cabinet, this cabinet has more people accused of sexual assault than any incoming cabinet
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— Acyn (@acyn.bsky.social) December 2, 2024 at 1:40 AM
Crockett's remarks underscore the fact that Trump—who earlier this year was convicted on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in his hush money case—has promised amnesty for criminals.
Trump has floated the idea of pardoning the more than 1,400 individuals criminally charged for their involvement in the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot, referring to them as “Great Patriots.” As the first former president to face criminal charges and a criminal conviction, he has also raised the unprecedented possibility of a self-pardon to evade legal consequences and undermine the rule of law.
Throughout his presidency, Trump issued an extraordinary number of pardons and commutations to individuals with deeply controversial records, including close friends, politically connected allies, corrupt politicians, and others whose silence served his interests.
Among those pardoned or granted commutations were Roger Stone, Paul Manafort, Michael Flynn, and others connected to Robert Mueller’s investigation into Trump’s 2016 campaign and its links to Russia. He also pardoned four former Blackwater guards convicted of killing 14 unarmed civilians in Baghdad in 2007.
Trump extended clemency to several former members of Congress, including New York Republican Representative Chris Collins, who had pleaded guilty to insider trading and lying to the FBI.
Additionally, six members of Congress, along with attorneys Rudy Giuliani and John Eastman, sought pardons from Trump for their roles in the events of January 6—the same events that resulted in Trump’s federal indictment on four counts and his status as an unindicted co-conspirator in several other cases.
And Crockett's point about Trump's Cabinet picks is right on the money considering Pete Hegseth (his Defense Secretary pick) was accused of sexually assaulting a woman in 2017. Moreover, former Florida congressman Matt Gaetz (his Attorney General pick) was forced to withdraw his name from consideration amid heightened scrutiny over sex trafficking allegations.
Many concurred with Crockett's remarks.
Trump is hiring criminals like temp help for the holiday season.
— rccolaw.bsky.social (@rccolaw.bsky.social) December 2, 2024 at 2:05 AM
Trump is going to pardon J6 criminals day one. So these dorks can shut it when they accuse Biden of ANYTHING.
— christianreese.bsky.social (@christianreese.bsky.social) December 2, 2024 at 2:21 AM
Don't forget that the going rate for Trump pardons the first time around was a million a pardon. He also pardoned fraudsters and cheats. Don't want to hear about word about Hunter who was targeted by people who spent our tax $ in hearings going after Hunter when they were supposed to be working.
— Kristy (@kris10l.bsky.social) December 2, 2024 at 2:03 AM
This incoming Cabinet includes more people accused of sexual assault than some prisons.
— Bill Huddleston (@blueabe24.bsky.social) December 2, 2024 at 3:32 AM
Republicans screaming about Biden pardoning his son is rich considering they pardoned a Twice Impeached, Classified Documents Thief, Election Denier, Insurrectionist in Chief, Adjudicated Rapist, 34 count CONVICTED FELON,found guilty of fraud in NY by electing him President of the United States.
— mistyblue149.bsky.social (@mistyblue149.bsky.social) December 2, 2024 at 4:19 AM
Someone Trump pardoned is in his cabinet. Their fake outrage is pathetic.
— Art Candee 🍿🥤 (@artcandee.bsky.social) December 2, 2024 at 2:02 AM
They made it clear they were going to exact their revenge on anyone connected to Biden. I think it was the right move considering who is coming to power.
— kramersus.bsky.social (@kramersus.bsky.social) December 2, 2024 at 2:00 AM
And, pardoned felons. And insurrectionists. And those who have committed treason. And, just evil people.
— The Best Words (@thebestwords.bsky.social) December 2, 2024 at 2:11 AM
Trump, in a classic case of projection, lashed out at Biden over the pardon news.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump called the pardon “an abuse and miscarriage of justice” and criticized Biden for not having "include[d] the J-6 Hostages, who have now been imprisoned for years."
Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung later said in a statement that “failed witch hunts against President Trump have proven that the Democrat-controlled [Department of Justice] and other radical prosecutors are guilty of weaponizing the justice system.”
Quite the contrary, it is Donald Trump's pledge to seek retribution as well as his nomination of Kash Patel to head up the FBI that made Biden feel he had to pardon his son despite having pledged not to.
Despite frequently claiming during Hunter Biden’s federal gun trial that the president’s son was receiving preferential treatment, Trump stated late last month that he wouldn’t rule out granting Hunter a pardon if he wins the upcoming election.
Now that Trump has, it should come as no surprise how quickly he's flipped on that.