Joe Biden Mocked As He Commutes Almost 1,500 Sentences and Pardons 39 Anonymous People — As Rage Grows Over Son Hunter Being Let Off
President Joe Biden granted clemency to 1,500 unnamed individuals and pardoned 39 others.
Dec. 12 2024, Published 11:39 a.m. ET
President Joe Biden is granting clemency to 1,500 individuals and pardoning 39 others in the largest single-day clemency action in U.S. history.
The pardons were granted to those convicted of non-violent crimes and commuted sentences for individuals on home confinement during the COVID-19 pandemic, RadarOnline.com can reveal – a move that comes roughly one week after Biden received criticism for granting clemency to his own son, Hunter.
The outgoing president issued the largest single-day clemency action in U.S. history.
The names of those receiving clemency have not been revealed.
Officials confirmed last week the White House is considering pardons for those wronged by the U.S. judicial system, including individuals convicted of nonviolent drug offenses and others identified as unjustly incarcerated.
Biden said he is planning further clemency actions in the coming weeks. The largest single-day act of clemency is Biden’s recent move, surpassing Barack Obama's 330 pardons in 2017.
Biden's latest move comes shortly after he pardoned his son, Hunter.
Biden said: "As President, I have the great privilege of extending mercy to people who have demonstrated remorse and rehabilitation, restoring opportunity for Americans to participate in daily life and contribute to their communities, and taking steps to remove sentencing disparities for non-violent offenders, especially those convicted of drug offenses."
The outgoing president also said he will take further action in the coming weeks and that his administration will keep reviewing clemency petitions.
People have been giving their opinions of the president's latest move on X, with one begging: "Release the names!"
Another said: "Biden is setting the stage for the preemptive pardons that will follow."
Others mocked the president's decision, writing: "Not surprised. Nothing he does surprises me anymore."
Another added: "Let's be real. Joe isn’t doing anything."
Biden said his son was 'treated differently' and called Hunter's prosecition 'selevtive' and 'unfair'.
Biden's recent decision to pardon his son, Hunter, calling the prosecution "selective" and "unfair", surprised many – especially given the White House had previously ruled out any plans for clemency regarding Hunter's gun conviction and guilty plea to tax felonies.
The president, who had said in June he would not interfere with the Justice Department’s decisions, stated: "From the day I took office, I said I would not interfere with the Justice Department's decision-making, and I kept my word even as I have watched my son being selectively and unfairly prosecuted."
He also argued that "almost never" are people charged for how they fill out a gun form, adding: "Hunter was treated differently."
Biden criticized "several of my political opponents in Congress" for turning the case into a public spectacle "to attack me and oppose my election".
Biden has received ample backlash for pardoning Hunter, with only 22% of Americans approving of his decision.
A recent AP-NORC poll found that 51% of respondents disapproved of Hunter's pardon for crimes he was convicted of or pleaded guilty to between 2014 and 2024, while 18% had no opinion and 9% were unsure.
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An AP-NORC poll showed only 22% of Americans agreed with Biden's pardon for his son.
Nearly half of respondents to the AP-NORC poll expressed "strong" or "somewhat" disapproval, while around 20% had no opinion either way.
The AP-NORC poll also revealed around 40% of Democrats approved of the pardon, while about 30% disapproved. Approximately one-quarter either had no opinion or were unsure.
The overwhelming majority of Republicans and roughly half of independents held a negative view.
