White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre defended President Biden’s decision to pardon his son Hunter on Monday, attributing it to “war politics” influencing the legal proceedings regarding Hunter’s gun and tax fraud charges. She further asserted that despite this, the Justice Department was not politically biased, contrary to former President Donald Trump’s accusations.
Jean-Pierre was confronted by sharp questions from journalists aboard Air Force One, as President Biden, 82, was en route to Angola for an official visit following the pardon issued late Sunday night.
“The president took an action because of how politically infected these cases were,” Jean-Pierre explained to a skeptical press corps.
A reporter challenged her: “The system doesn’t get corrupted by politics for people whose name is not Biden?”
Jean-Pierre responded firmly, “You’re twisting and misrepresenting what I’m saying. I’m talking about a particular issue right now.”
Later, another journalist asked, “Does the president believe now and agree with President-elect Trump that the justice system has been weaponized for political purposes and that it needs root and branch reform?”
“No. Read the president’s statement. Seriously, read the president’s statement. He said he believes in the Department of Justice. He does. He says it in his statement. He also believes that war politics infected the process and it led to a miscarriage of justice,” she said.
During a series of often tense exchanges, Jean-Pierre clarified that President Biden was not calling for Attorney General Merrick Garland’s resignation, despite his leadership of the department during what Biden described as a politically motivated prosecution.
Before the pardon was granted, both Biden and Jean-Pierre had consistently insisted that Hunter Biden would not receive clemency, emphasizing the importance of respecting the legal system and criticizing Donald Trump for alleging political motives behind the four criminal cases filed against him.
{Matzav.com}