Sounding more like a practiced Democratic Party spokesman than a journalist, commentator Jonathan Capehart said on PBS NewsHour that Joe Biden had no choice but to pardon his son because President-elect Donald Trump wanted to throw the book at Hunter Biden, who has been caught up in gun and tax cases.
He also appeared to blame Vice President Kamala Harris for the pardon, suggesting that her loss cleared the way for Trump to target the younger Biden.
Winging it as usual without any evidence, the Washington Post columnist and PBS regular said: “I am almost certain, 99% certain, that President Biden was hoping that Vice President Harris would win and that this would not be an issue.”
The president’s pardon has been condemned by many Democrats, and it threatens to ruin what’s left of Biden’s presidential legacy. A handful of defenders, however, are making excuses for Biden’s pardon.
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Capehart, a contributor to PBS as well as the host of a weekend show on MSNBC and an opinion writer for the Washington Post, on Friday’s PBS NewsHour:
HOST GEOFF BENNETT: Jonathan, in your view, was it justified, and what’s the lasting impact?
JONATHAN CAPEHART: Well, one, yes, it was justified. When the president said that he would not pardon his son, wouldn’t grant clemency, the facts on the ground were completely different. It’s the middle of a presidential campaign. He was the candidate for president, didn’t want to be viewed as interfering. He’s no longer the candidate. His vice president is the presidential nominee.
I am almost certain, 99% certain, that President Biden was hoping that Vice President Harris would win and that this would not be an issue. But when the person who won the race won the race by vowing, through a campaign of retribution, revenge, naming the Biden family in general and Hunter Biden, in particular, as someone or groups of people, he wanted to go after if he won election, of course, the president looks at the facts, says I cannot allow that to happen to my son.
And I understand the criticisms and the brickbats that the president is taking. But for some Democrats to be complaining about how “you’ve ruined norms” and “you’ve given him an avenue,” have they not been paying attention to who Donald Trump is either during the campaign or during his four years as president the first go-round?
And these are the same people who would be yelling at Biden had he not done something and then President Trump took action against Hunter Biden: “Why didn’t you save your son? Why didn’t you help your son when you had the opportunity to do so when you were president?” He’s done it.
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Brent Baker, the Steven P.J. Wood senior fellow and vice president for research and publications at the Media Research Center, explains our pick: “The very definition of rationalizing situational ethics and further proof, if any were needed, that Capehart is more a Democratic Party partisan than any kind of impartial analyst. If a Democrat or liberal does it, Capehart will defend it.”
Rating: FOUR out of FIVE Screams.
