Biden on his son, Hunter, and his controversial pardon: 'Thank God he's doing really well'

WASHINGTON ? In the end, President Joe Biden's instinct to protect his son proved to be more powerful than any concerns about the precedent he might be setting ? in this case, more a father than a president.

"I meant what I said when I was asked whether I was going to pardon my son," Biden told USA TODAY in an interview Sunday. The president had categorically ruled out pardoning Hunter Biden as he faced prosecution on federal gun and tax charges. "But then I found out two factors" that convinced him Hunter's legal peril in each case was out of proportion to his crimes ? not justice but a miscarriage of justice, in his view.

After the election in November, Biden did what he had long insisted he wouldn't, pardoning his son. The sweeping language he used caused particular alarm among some legal scholars and commentators.

Biden not only pardoned Hunter for the gun and tax convictions but also for 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."

Critics said that provided a template that Donald Trump and other future presidents could cite in holding family, friends and allies above the law.

Was he concerned he had set a precedent some of his successors might abuse?

"I hope not," Biden said. But he was more interested in describing how he thought how his son had been unfairly targeted.

Hunter was convicted of violating a federal law that bars people illegally using or addicted to drugs from buying guns, and of failing to pay his taxes. Violations of both laws are rarely prosecuted against first-time offenders who make amends, especially if they aren't guilty of other crimes, and they rarely result in jail time.

"That's why I stepped in," Biden said. He added, "By the way, it was under my administration, and Trump wasn't doing this."

The issue has dogged his presidency. Hunter disclosed he was under investigation in December 2020 ? a month after his father had won the White House, and a month before he had been sworn in.

But in an exit interview with USA TODAY, days before Biden moves out of the White House, his main response to questions about Hunter was not to express concern about the political costs but pride in his son for battling addiction.

"He's doing great, God love him," Biden said, the most animated he would be during a 55-minute interview about policy, politics and his legacy. "Thank God he's doing really well. He's been straight and sober." He called him "a very bright guy" who was now making a living as an artist, though that enterprise also has raised controversy about potential conflicts of interest.

On Wednesday, he said, Hunter was set to become a grandfather, his daughter Naomi scheduled to have a C-section. "I'm about to be a great-grandfather, Jesus God," Joe Biden said, shaking his head, delighted.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Joe Biden on his son, Hunter: 'Thank God he's doing really well'