this post was submitted on 02 Dec 2024
289 points (94.2% liked)

politics

19165 readers
3852 users here now

Welcome to the discussion of US Politics!

Rules:

  1. Post only links to articles, Title must fairly describe link contents. If your title differs from the site’s, it should only be to add context or be more descriptive. Do not post entire articles in the body or in the comments.

Links must be to the original source, not an aggregator like Google Amp, MSN, or Yahoo.

Example:

  1. Articles must be relevant to politics. Links must be to quality and original content. Articles should be worth reading. Clickbait, stub articles, and rehosted or stolen content are not allowed. Check your source for Reliability and Bias here.
  2. Be civil, No violations of TOS. It’s OK to say the subject of an article is behaving like a (pejorative, pejorative). It’s NOT OK to say another USER is (pejorative). Strong language is fine, just not directed at other members. Engage in good-faith and with respect! This includes accusing another user of being a bot or paid actor. Trolling is uncivil and is grounds for removal and/or a community ban.
  3. No memes, trolling, or low-effort comments. Reposts, misinformation, off-topic, trolling, or offensive. Similarly, if you see posts along these lines, do not engage. Report them, block them, and live a happier life than they do. We see too many slapfights that boil down to "Mom! He's bugging me!" and "I'm not touching you!" Going forward, slapfights will result in removed comments and temp bans to cool off.
  4. Vote based on comment quality, not agreement. This community aims to foster discussion; please reward people for putting effort into articulating their viewpoint, even if you disagree with it.
  5. No hate speech, slurs, celebrating death, advocating violence, or abusive language. This will result in a ban. Usernames containing racist, or inappropriate slurs will be banned without warning

We ask that the users report any comment or post that violate the rules, to use critical thinking when reading, posting or commenting. Users that post off-topic spam, advocate violence, have multiple comments or posts removed, weaponize reports or violate the code of conduct will be banned.

All posts and comments will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. This means that some content that violates the rules may be allowed, while other content that does not violate the rules may be removed. The moderators retain the right to remove any content and ban users.

That's all the rules!

Civic Links

Register To Vote

Citizenship Resource Center

Congressional Awards Program

Federal Government Agencies

Library of Congress Legislative Resources

The White House

U.S. House of Representatives

U.S. Senate

Partnered Communities:

News

World News

Business News

Political Discussion

Ask Politics

Military News

Global Politics

Moderate Politics

Progressive Politics

UK Politics

Canadian Politics

Australian Politics

New Zealand Politics

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
 

Summary

President Joe Biden pardoned his son Hunter Biden, prompting strong backlash from Republicans.

GOP lawmakers criticized the move as an abuse of power and an attempt to avoid accountability, with figures like Rep. James Comer and Sen. Chuck Grassley calling it hypocritical and corrupt.

Biden defended the pardon, citing “selective prosecution” and claiming Hunter was unfairly targeted due to their family connection.

Hunter faced convictions for federal gun and tax charges.

top 50 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] 800XL 6 points 19 hours ago

Who cares? Fuck them.

[–] 4grams 36 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Who fucking cares. trump did far worse and kushner walked away with a couple billion and not one person in the government or media batted an eyelash. We’re in a post factual society.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 20 hours ago (1 children)

Exactly. Honestly all the self-flagellation, finger wagging and purity tests over this are exactly why the Democrats have lost and the Republicans took power over the entire government.

Trump gave his son-in-law’s daddy a pardon for crimes that included trying to blackmail a witness against him in a criminal case by hiring a prostitute and recording their sex.

Trump pardoned the murderers responsible for a massacre in Iraq.

Trump pardoned Manafort and Stone and others who committed crimes to get Trump into office.

The majority of Trump’s pardons were people who are personally or politically connected to him. I guarantee we’ll see far worse in Trump’s next term no matter what Biden does.

So yeah Biden can and should pardon whoever the fuck he wants, especially to those people Trump has threatened retaliation.

[–] 4grams 1 points 19 hours ago

Well said friend.

[–] Tyrangle -1 points 20 hours ago (1 children)

So two wrongs make a right I guess? Why shouldn't we be holding all these people accountable?

[–] 4grams 7 points 19 hours ago* (last edited 19 hours ago)

In this specific case, because the hunter biden thing was political bullshit from the start. secondly though, the wrongs in question are nowhere near close to each other. third, hunters “crimes” were the typical presidential failson exploits I frankly don’t care that he excuses, perk of the job as far as I’m concerned. Getting your loser kid off the hook for drug and gun charges you know, not a coverup of the murder of a journalist for the bargain price of 2 billion dollars.

[–] [email protected] 18 points 1 day ago

Exiting President handing away high profile pardons just before leaving office? I kind of remember when it happened before, and much worse: https://www.vox.com/22238571/trump-pardons-bannon-broidy-corruption

[–] [email protected] 12 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Die mad about it, Republicans!

[–] Wogi 5 points 1 day ago

I don't care if they're mad when it happens, that's just a nice bonus

[–] [email protected] 89 points 1 day ago (10 children)

These two posts on my front page right beside each other.

Get fucked Republicans. You have no moral high ground here.

load more comments (10 replies)
[–] [email protected] 195 points 2 days ago (2 children)

Well, y'all mfuckers put a convicted felon, a rapist, a fraudster and a con artist as your president, so shut the fuck up.

[–] grue 54 points 2 days ago (3 children)

You forgot the worst one, which is "fascist wanna-be dictator."

load more comments (3 replies)
load more comments (1 replies)
[–] DarkFuture 33 points 1 day ago (7 children)

Biden had all the justification he needed when Trump indicated he'd target his political opponents if he won.

Anyone complaining about this can fuck off.

[–] WrenFeathers 6 points 1 day ago

Yup. I’d do the same.

load more comments (6 replies)
[–] [email protected] 13 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

Let em fume..anger is the only thing Magatards understand

[–] SulaymanF 5 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Republicans rage daily about something or another. Even after winning the election they still need something to hate.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 18 hours ago

Indeed, if they ran out of things to hate they would have to invent new ones. It's the only way they can operate. The hatred is the only constant.

[–] [email protected] 32 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Republicans are faux angry. They clearly don't really care about the deed at all. If anything they're gleeful because they get to run around and call Biden a nepotistic liar.

Some Democrats are angry because Biden just handed the Republican a stinky turd that they're going to throw in our face every time someone brings up any of their lies or nepotism.

Many Democrats don't seem to care either, as long as Trump is worse.

load more comments (2 replies)
[–] ATDA 59 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Everyone needs to play the same game they do.

Is it hypocritical, yeah probably, does he have any reason to answer for it? Naw

Trump just put Kusher in a role .. a person he pardoned for ... "preparing false tax returns, witness retaliation, and making false statements to the FEC" per his own statement.

Right.

[–] nul9o9 36 points 2 days ago (3 children)

People voted this kind of behavior into office, repeatedly. Anyone clutching pearls right now can fuck off.

I sure as hell wouldn't want my son at the mercy of Trumps DOJ.

load more comments (3 replies)
[–] [email protected] 34 points 2 days ago (1 children)

The only people allowed to be outraged on this are Democrats. The Republican party lost their right to be angry about this kinda stupid stuff shortly after they elected a rapist.

[–] [email protected] 20 points 1 day ago (1 children)

... and someone who did the exact same thing.

[–] madcaesar 16 points 1 day ago

I'd argue he pardoned way worse people.

[–] NJSpradlin 100 points 2 days ago (27 children)

I’m not pleased at the prospect of Republicans doing the same thing in four years, after the corruption of Trump’s second term, and then pointing their fingers at this… but, to anyone with half a brain and at least one eye… Hunter wasn’t in politics, wasn’t directly appointed to his staff or a representative in any fashion within the White House, and the gun and tax crimes are small fries compared to anything the Trump family and stooges are or have been up to.

[–] fluxion 121 points 2 days ago (2 children)

Prospect? Trump handed out pardons like candy to far worse people who happened to aligned with his politics. After 8 years of seeing Trump rat-fuck norms and laws and precedent and unjustly go after his family and get away with everything, while everyone else tries to play by the rules, Biden is probably asking himself why he has to let his son risk prison when he knows everyone in the incoming administration wouldn't even give a second thought to pardoning.

I don't support it, but I get it. This is the kind of shit America voted for, right?

load more comments (2 replies)
[–] DarkCloud 60 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (7 children)

Roger Stone, Steve Banon, Dinesh D'Souza all sorts of other crony based pardons were already done in Trumps last term.

Your Pearl Clutching the inevitable (as of it will now be Bidens fault) is ridiculous, and out of line.

load more comments (7 replies)
[–] Boddhisatva 49 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

Prospect? Where have you been? Did you miss when Trump pardoned Jared Kushner's father?

Prosecutors alleged that after Charles Kushner [Jared Kushner's father] discovered his brother-in-law was cooperating with federal authorities in an investigation, he hatched a scheme for revenge and intimidation.

Kushner hired a prostitute to lure his brother-in-law, then arranged to have the encounter in a New Jersey motel room recorded with a hidden camera and the recording sent to his own sister, the man’s wife, prosecutors said.

In fact, this man who "pleaded guilty to 18 counts including tax evasion and witness tampering" has now been nominated to be Ambassador to France by Trump. There is no "prospect of Republicans doing the same thing in four years." They've been doing it for the last 40+ years already. You just haven't been paying attention.

It's about time the Democrats got of their damn high horse and got down in the mud and started fighting like they mean it.

[–] Blue_Morpho 34 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Don Jr did cocaine in public at the recent Space X launch and not a peep out of the mainstream media, much less police.

If a policeman saw a black man outside a night club do what Don Jr did, he would have been arrested on the spot and immediately thrown in jail.

load more comments (1 replies)
load more comments (23 replies)
[–] sunbytes 3 points 1 day ago (2 children)

I'm pretty sure this was part of their plan. It's now legit cover for Trump to pardon whoever they want.

Plus yeah, they want to talk smack. It's not like they have any worthwhile policy ideas.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 1 day ago (1 children)

He already did that during his first term. This has nothing to do with Trump. It also doesn't fucking matter. If people are mad about Hunter Biden owning a gun and doing cocaine, then why aren't they mad about Don Jr doing literally exactly the same thing?

[–] sunbytes 1 points 10 hours ago

It doesn't have anything to do with Trump. But that's not to say he won't take advantage of it.

They're not mad at Don Jr because they don't want to be. That's all.

[–] Wogi 1 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I mean there's something to be said for handing them some ammo.

Dominate a news cycle with some bullshit and do something shady under the table.

[–] sunbytes 1 points 10 hours ago

Jon Stewart outlined it pretty well.

The Dems put this artificial moral framework around themselves that limits how well they can compete with the Right, because it's important

But as soon as they need something for themselves or their family they just break it.

They never break it for the people who need it most.

[–] Pacattack57 20 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

Definitely a bad look but in all honesty it’s justified.

The right was definitely unfairly targeting Hunter. They were using him as a scapegoat since they couldn’t get to Joe.

[–] Blade9732 67 points 2 days ago (1 children)

I think Biden should use his pardon power for good. I don't have a huge problem with this, but I want him to do something unexpected. Biden should pardon all the married immigrants after his program was recently shot down in court. For those that don't know, Many immigrants are married to US citizens, but cannot achieve citizenship that you normally would be able to do. It hinges on entering the country Illegally, which requires them to leave for up to 10 years before re applying for citizenship. Biden could pardon the "crime" of illegal entry, this removing the INS statue of not allowing them citizenship.

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] CharlesDarwin 34 points 2 days ago (3 children)

Fuck 'em. Let them fume. This is the party that wants to let the terrorists from Jan 6 off with a pardon. The party that thinks donvict can do no wrong.

load more comments (3 replies)
[–] [email protected] 35 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (14 children)

I seriously think he should do a LOT of other shitty things Trump set the precedent for. Like perhaps seriously abuse that presidential pardon thing that Trump invented.

Like, I don't know, I'm just brainstorming here, perhaps order the assassinations of the future president and all of the key people circling around him. And then just go all Jesse Pinkman, "yeah! presidential immunity bitch!".

load more comments (14 replies)
[–] BrianTheeBiscuiteer 33 points 2 days ago

In a perfect world I'd say he needs to let the system work and nobody is above the law, yada yada yada. Clearly this world and country are horribly fucked. For YEARS Republicans have been using the term "Biden Family" to make them sound like some kind of crime syndicate, coming up with "ominous facts" that were not indicative of any actual crime, held an impeachment over President Bidens head for years, distributed naked pictures of Hunter, and interfered with what would've been a simple plea deal, all the while trying to downplay the most corrupt presidency in our history.

Fuck the norms. Fuck ethics. Fuck propriety. The new America requires you to use every tool at your disposal just to get your most basic fucking rights. If Republicans think this is such an abuse of power they can do their fucking jobs for once in their lives and pass some fucking ethics reform. I applaud Joe's embrace of the new normal and I hope other Democrats figure out this is the new normal, whether they like it or not, and stop playing pussyfoot with a party that's been playing "kick the groin" for over 30 years.

[–] Sam_Bass 10 points 1 day ago

Aww fuck those one way princesses.

[–] enbyecho 7 points 1 day ago

I'm really warming up to the idea of Biden doing some other "official acts" before he departs.

load more comments
view more: next ›