President Biden Pardons Hunter Biden

Hunter Biden said in a June 2025 interview on Gov. Gavin Newsom's podcast that the presidential pardon issued to him in December 2024 would be among the first items written about his father. "That's how much you know my dad loves me. He chose me over his political legacy," Hunter Biden stated, according to NBC News.

The pardon covered federal gun and tax convictions against Hunter Biden. He was convicted on gun charges in 2024 and later pleaded guilty to tax charges. Sentencing in those cases had been scheduled before the pardon was granted. The investigation into the matters began during the first Trump administration and continued under Attorney General Merrick Garland.

NBC News reported that Hunter Biden acknowledged the pardon tarnished his father's legacy. Former first lady Jill Biden told NBC's "TODAY" that she supported the decision. She said the process became political after the administration changed.

The pardon was issued weeks before Joe Biden left office. Hunter Biden described the action as protection against potential federal prison supervision under the incoming administration.