As the news of Hunter Biden’s plea deal fell apart on Wednesday, a fresh question was raised about whether the troubled son of President Joe Biden and the investigation into his foreign business dealings could bring down the administration.
Could President Biden actually face impeachment due to his son’s activities?
Yet, that’s not really the question we should be asking – because while it could happen, the bigger question is what length could the president go to in an effort to save his son, whom he shows so much unconditional love and admiration.
Hunter Could Go to Jail
One possible scenario is that Hunter Biden could face years in jail for his failure to pay his taxes and up to a decade in prison for lying on a form to purchase a firearm. Moreover, there are ongoing investigations from GOP House lawmakers that show no sign of ending.
Instead of letting his son face “going away” to prison for years or longer, Joe Biden may use his presidential powers to pardon Hunter, and that could include making all of it “go away.”
In theory, it is possible Biden could take a similar course of action that President Gerald Ford took with former President Richard Nixon.
That was via Proclamation 4311, issued by Ford on September 8, 1974, which granted a full and unconditional pardon to Nixon for any crimes that the former president might have committed against the United States.
That generated a national controversy and it likely was a factor that resulted in Ford being defeated when he sought reelection in 1976.
It Would be Politically Costly
By pardoning his son, President Joe Biden would also generate a national controversy – so much so that he might be forced to announce that he won’t seek reelection next year. Such a move might not satisfy everyone in the ranks of the Republican Party, especially those closely aligned with former President Donald Trump and who want to exact revenge for the two impeachments as well as the scores of indictments Trump now faces.
Yet, Joe Biden would instantly become a lame duck, one politically weakened as he would lose the support of many in his own party. It would still be a course of action that could save Hunter, an alcohol and drug addict in recovery, from potentially years in prison.
Some parents might even relate to the troubles the elder Biden has faced with his troubled son, but that’s not likely enough to counter the political scandal the campaign would face.
Part of the Plan All Along?
Biden may have been secretly setting up a potential path to pardon his son for months, Fox News contributor Miranda Devine explained in May.
“I think the end game is that he’s setting up… framing this sympathy card so that when it comes time, perhaps in his lame duck period, that he will pardon Hunter and Americans will forgive him because they will say, well, Hunter was a drug addict and Joe just loves his family, and he’s been through enough tragedy in his life,” she continued. “Leave him alone.”
Perhaps, in many ways, it might be the best thing for the country if Hunter were to be pardoned.
It could instantly end the partisan investigations into Hunter Biden’s business dealings, while it perhaps could also pave a way forward for some of Trump’s charges to be “dismissed” were he also to agree to step aside, and not seek reelection.
The latter, of course, is likely just wishful thinking.
Author Experience and Expertise
A Senior Editor for 19FortyFive, Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu.
From 19FortyFive
The Second American Civil War Has Begun
