LUANDA, Angola (AP) — President Joe Biden dodged questions on Tuesday about his decision to go back on his word and pardon his son Hunter, ignoring requests to explain his reversal while on his first presidential trip to Angola.
Dismissing questions shouted with a laugh during a meeting with Angolan President João Lourenço at the presidential palace, Biden told the Angolan delegation "welcome to the United States." Biden was not planning to take questions from the press during his trip to Africa, as his press secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre, told journalists on Monday, and has largely avoided any interaction with journalists since President-elect Donald Trump's victory last month.
Biden's decision to offer his son a general pardon for actions committed in the last 11 years has caused a political uproar in Washington, after the president repeatedly told the public that he would not use his extraordinary powers for the benefit of his family members. Biden stated that his own Department of Justice had presided over a "judicial error" in prosecuting his son.
The reversal sparked criticism from many Democrats, who are working to gauge their approach to Trump as he prepares to take over the Oval Office in seven weeks, fearing that the pardon—and Biden's claims that his son was prosecuted for political reasons—could undermine his ability to roll back the legal maneuvers of the incoming president. It also threatens to tarnish Biden's legacy as he prepares to leave office on January 20th.
In June, Biden told reporters while his son was facing trial for a weapons case in Delaware: "I respect the jury's decision. I will abide by it and will not pardon him."
In July, Jean-Pierre told journalists: "It's still a no. It will be a no. It is a no. And I have nothing more to add." Will he pardon his son? No.
In November, days after Trump’s victory, Jean-Pierre reiterated that message: “Our response is the same, that is, no.”