How Democrats and Republicans look at Hunter Biden’s pardon and one for J6ers

03 December 2024

Despite apparent consternation from a small number of Democrats—including Governor Jared Polis and U.S. Senator Michael Bennet, both of Colorado, and Senator Gary Peters of Michigan—a strong majority of Democratic voters support President Joe Biden’s decision to issue a complete, blanket pardon for Hunter Biden, his son, whom incoming Trump nominees are expected to continue to target. Multiple legal experts, including former federal prosecutors, have stated they would not have brought charges against Hunter Biden. The President and the White House have indicated the pardon was in response to Trump’s nominations.

A YouGov poll conducted Monday of over 3500 adults found 64% of Democrats approve of President Biden pardoning his son, while 21% disapprove. Nearly eight in ten Republicans (79%) disapprove. Overall, 34% of the country approves, and 50% does not. Adults 45 and older were the largest groups to disapprove.

“Biden didn’t just pardon his son, but he did so after repeatedly saying he wouldn’t, and he gave Hunter Biden an extraordinarily broad pardon, historically speaking,” reported The Washington Post’s Aaron Blake. “These numbers suggest it’s a mark against the outgoing president, but not exactly a scandal.”

Blake also reported that previous polls showed Democrats had been opposed to the President pardoning his son.

He noted that the numbers suggest “the pardon might not be as big a stain on Biden’s legacy as it seemed it could be.” (Other news outlets, including Politico, have suggested the pardon has or will harm Biden’s legacy.)

The Post also reports the “reversal reinforces how partisanship can rein in such matters — how ideas that are highly unpopular in the abstract can win significant support when your side actually does it.”

Others have also spoken out against President Biden pardoning Hunter Biden.

Outgoing U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin (who left the Democratic Party officially this year and declared independent status) told CNN the pardon makes President Biden’s legacy “more difficult,” and said Biden should have also pardoned Donald Trump to make it “more balanced.” Donald Trump had been facing close to 100 felony charges across multiple state and federal jurisdictions and courts on a wide variety of alleged criminal acts, including under the Espionage Act. Presidents cannot pardon state offenses.

Meanwhile, The Post also reports any possible pardons for those involved in the January 6 insurrection or other actions at the Capitol are strongly opposed—even by many Republicans.

“Polls show this idea has been very unpopular, and even many Republicans aren’t sold. A CNN poll in January showed 69 percent of American adults and even 46 percent of Republican-leaning Americans opposed the idea of pardoning most Jan. 6 convicts. And a Washington Post-University of Maryland poll a year ago showed just 26 percent of Americans and 42 percent of Republicans said punishments for Jan. 6 convicts were ‘too harsh.'”

However, Trump supporters’ perceptions could still change.

“Republicans have quite conveniently adjusted their views related to Trump and crime — and even the Capitol insurrection — plenty before, in Trump’s direction. And it could surely happen again.”

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