President Joe Biden stamped out speculation Thursday that he could commute the sentence of his son, Hunter Biden, to help him avoid jail time and reiterated his vow that he will not pardon him.
The president’s comments mark his first on-camera remarks on the topic following Hunter Biden’s Tuesday conviction on felony gun charges, which he characterized as a fair trial. His immediate statement following the verdict confirmed his decision not to pardon his son, following promises made by White House officials that he would not do so.
Biden, flanked by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, fielded questions from reporters Thursday evening in Italy on the outskirts of the G7 leaders summit. The two had just announced a new, 10-year bilateral security agreement between the U.S. and Ukraine, widely viewed as a stepping stone toward Ukraine gaining membership to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
“I’m extremely proud of my son Hunter. He has overcome an addiction. He’s one of the brightest, most decent men I know, and I am satisfied,” Biden responded when asked if he believes Hunter received a fair trial. “I’m not going to do anything. I said I would abide by the jury’s decision, and I will do that, and I will not pardon him.”
Following the press conference, Biden additionally told reporters “no” when asked if a commutation for Hunter was on the table.
Still, questions remained about whether Biden planned to use his powers to help his son avoid jail time by commuting his sentence.
Judge Maryellen Noreika has yet to set a sentencing date for Hunter Biden, and White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre declined to say Wednesday if the president was considering commuting his son’s sentence.
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“I have not spoken to the president about this, and what I’m saying is he was asked about a pardon,” she said at the time. “He was asked about the trial specifically, and he answered it very clearly. I don’t have anything beyond what the president said.”
Biden’s comments can be seen in full below.
