UPDATED: Democrats Piling on to Condemn Hunter Biden Pardon

Plenty of people are unhappy with President Biden's sweeping, blanket pardon of his ne'er-do-well son Hunter. As the hooraw grows louder, we see that even some Democrats are starting to dog-pile on the elderly, befuddled president, and the overarching pardon of his son.

President Joe Biden‘s decision to pardon his son Hunter Biden on Sunday frustrated one Democrat who has been breaking with his party in recent weeks.
The president and his 2020 running mate, Vice President Kamala Harris, ran on a platform promising to put their country over their party, as a contrast to President-elect Donald Trump. But Gov. Jared Polis (D-CO) said Sunday that the president’s decision to go back on his word was a prime example of putting his family over the country.

Governor Polis took to X to express his concerns:

While as a father I certainly understand President @JoeBiden’s natural desire to help his son by pardoning him, I am disappointed that he put his family ahead of the country. This is a bad precedent that could be abused by later Presidents and will sadly tarnish his reputation.…
— Jared Polis (@jaredpolis) December 2, 2024

Governor Polis' X post states in full:

While as a father I certainly understand President @JoeBiden’s natural desire to help his son by pardoning him, I am disappointed that he put his family ahead of the country. This is a bad precedent that could be abused by later Presidents and will sadly tarnish his reputation. When you become President, your role is Pater familias of the nation. Hunter brought the legal trouble he faced on himself, and one can sympathize with his struggles while also acknowledging that no one is above the law, not a President and not a President’s son.

There's one problem with that statement, and that's Governor Polis' use of the term "Pater familias" to describe the role of the president. "Pater familias" means, in essence, "Father of the family," and that's a misnomer; the president, we should note, is not a father to the nation. He is our elected employee, chosen from among us to run the executive branch of a government that is supposedly of the people, by the people, and for the people.

But in his other statements, Governor Polis makes some good points, and so does Representative Greg Stanton (D-AZ).

I respect President Biden, but I think he got this one wrong.

This wasn’t a politically-motivated prosecution. Hunter committed felonies, and was convicted by a jury of his peers. https://t.co/P31d4ILL1P
— Rep. Greg Stanton (@RepGregStanton) December 2, 2024

It's a fair point. If Joe Biden was really committed to the rule of law and to the principle of equal treatment under the law, he would have let the process go ahead, and Hunter would have been held to account for crimes for which he either pled guilty or was convicted by a jury of his peers.

Instead, Biden issued an ethically-fraught blanket pardon. And, from his point of view, why shouldn't he? Joe Biden was rudely shown the door by his own party, so it's unlikely he'll listen to them any more than he does Republicans.

Another Colorado Democrat, Sen. Michael Bennet, added his voice to those critical of Biden's decision, saying, "President Biden’s decision put personal interest ahead of duty and further erodes Americans’ faith that the justice system is fair and equal for all."

President Biden’s decision put personal interest ahead of duty and further erodes Americans’ faith that the justice system is fair and equal for all. https://t.co/xEuRjfNhZ0
— Michael Bennet (@SenatorBennet) December 2, 2024

By Pardoning Hunter, Did Joe Biden Set a Fifth Amendment Trap for Himself?

WATCH: Scott Jennings Goes Nuclear After CNN Analyst Claims Biden Didn't Lie About Pardoning His Son

It's hard to see where all this fallout will land. Predictions are hard to make, especially about the future. But that matters little to Joe Biden. He's on his way out; his legacy is going to include a catastrophic withdrawal from Afghanistan, runaway inflation, rising energy costs, a crooked son handed an unethical pardon, and possibly a brother who will receive the same. The Biden legacy is one of economic crisis and corruption; that cannot be changed now, and so, it seems, Joe may as well use the near-unlimited pardon power of the presidency to clear the decks, ensuring that his family walks away clean.

With, I might add, most of their ill-gotten gains intact.

(EDITOR'S NOTE: This piece was edited post-publication to add the comment from Sen. Michael Bennet.)