Former White House press secretary Jen Psaki argued that President Joe Biden’s “character” is what made him choose to uphold the law, even after his son’s guilty verdict.
Hunter Biden was found guilty last week on all three charges he faced regarding a 2018 gun purchase, and he faces a maximum sentence of up to 25 years in prison. In the wake of the ruling, the president said he was “extremely proud” of his son, noting how he had overcome a drug addiction.
Psaki contended that Biden’s reaction to his son’s verdict showed “acceptance” instead of outrage.
“But Joe Biden’s character as a public servant is what drove him to make clear that the law applies to everyone,” Psaki said. “His decision not to pardon his son is not an expression of restraint or removal in any way from what his son has gone through and is continuing to go through, but of principle. Because the justice system that convicted his only surviving son is the same justice system he’s vowed to protect, and if that doesn’t tell you who Joe Biden is, I don’t really know what does.”
Psaki’s statement comes after the White House avoided questions on potentially commuting Hunter Biden’s sentence. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre directed the press to the president’s previous comments when asked about this possibility.
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Former White House communications director Kate Bedingfield has suggested the president should avoid making additional comments about his son’s ruling, noting that Biden has been “very disciplined” in not bringing attention to his son.
In the wake of this ruling, several Democrats have suggested that this could put an end to Republicans’ claims of a “two-tiered system of justice.” However, some Republicans have argued that the verdict was simply a smoke screen to distract from the “political persecution” of former President Donald Trump, who is running for president again this year.
