Democrats criticized Biden’s pardon of his son

Several Democrats in Congress spoke out today against President Biden’s decision to pardon his son Hunter Biden, who was convicted of gun charges and pleaded guilty to tax charges. The Democrats said it would erode Americans’ faith in democracy and the rule of law.

“The pardon was a mistake,” Representative Jason Crow of Colorado said, adding, “I think it will make it harder for us going forward when we talk about upholding democracy.” Others defended Biden’s move as the justified action of a concerned father who feared that President-elect Donald Trump would follow through on his threats to seek retribution against his rivals.

As Trump continues to assemble his next administration, he has drawn criticism — and has doubled down on defiance. Rather than turning to more credentialed choices after the collapse of Matt Gaetz’s bid for attorney general, Trump has named more ideological warriors, conspiracy theorists and even family members to senior government positions.

Over the weekend, Trump said he wanted to replace the F.B.I. director with Kash Patel, a critic of the bureau who has called for shutting down its headquarters. He also said he would name Massad Boulos, a Lebanese American businessman and the father-in-law of his daughter Tiffany, as a senior adviser covering Arab and Middle Eastern affairs, and Charles Kushner, the father of Ivanka Trump’s husband, Jared Kushner, to be ambassador to France.