U.S. President Joe Biden’s decision to pardon his son Hunter over tax and firearms convictions has sparked criticism from lawmakers and officials, including some within his own Democratic Party.

The Biden administration on Monday defended the president’s announcement, even though he had previously promised not to pardon his son, saying Hunter’s prosecution was political in nature.

“They (Republicans) would continue to persecute his son,” White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters on an Air Force One flight to Angola, adding that other presidents have also pardoned family members.

At the end of his first term, Trump pardoned a number of political allies and donors, including disgraced real estate tycoon Charles Kushner, father of Trump’s son-in-law Jared.

On his last day in office, President Bill Clinton pardoned his half-brother Roger, who spent a year in prison after pleading guilty in 1985 to selling cocaine to an undercover police officer in Arkansas. This pardon was done to clear his criminal record.

The Biden decision has led to accusations that he is using his power to protect a family member from court rulings and impose his own legal standard on people with political connections, potentially damaging his legacy.

“It’s really exciting. This applies not only to the crimes for which he was convicted, but also to those for which he was not charged,” said Al Jazeera correspondent Kimberly Halkett.

Hunter Biden faced a maximum of 17 years in prison on the tax charges and up to 25 years in prison on the weapons charges, although the federal sentencing guidelines were expected to be much shorter. He was scheduled to be sentenced in both cases this month.

Hunter Biden, 54, came under ongoing suspicion over his foreign dealings during his father’s presidency, raising questions about whether he used his father’s office for personal gain.

Here’s a quick look at how some lawmakers from both the Democratic and Republican parties reacted to Biden’s decision:

President Biden

“No reasonable person looking at the facts of Hunter’s cases could come to any conclusion other than that Hunter was singled out because he was my son – and that is wrong. “There have been attempts to break Hunter — who has been sober for five and a half years despite relentless attacks and selective persecution,” Biden said in a statement Sunday.

“In trying to break Hunter, they tried to break me – and there’s no reason to think it will stop here. Enough is enough.”

President-elect Donald Trump

The Republican president-elect – who previously stated that he would pardon people involved in the attack on the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, to atone for Trump’s loss to Biden in the 2020 election – described the pardon as ” Miscarriage.” of justice”.

“Does the pardon granted by Joe Hunter extend to the J-6 hostages who have been imprisoned for years now? Such an abuse and miscarriage of justice!” He posted on social media, referring to those charged over the 2021 attack on the US Capitol.

Mike Johnson, Republican Speaker of the US House of Representatives

“President Biden has often insisted that he would never pardon his own son for his serious crimes. But last night he suddenly granted a “full and unconditional pardon” for all crimes Hunter had committed for more than a decade!” Johnson said in a social media post.

“Trust in our justice system has been almost irreparably damaged by the Bidens and their use and abuse. Real reforms can’t start soon enough!”

Republican Jim Jordan, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee

“Democrats said there was no truth to our impeachment inquiry. “If that’s the case, then why did Joe Biden pardon Hunter Biden for the very things we asked about?” the congressman asked, referring to Republicans’ impeachment efforts against Biden that failed in the House of Representatives.

Republican James Comer, chairman of the House Oversight Committee

“The charges Hunter faced were just the tip of the iceberg of the blatant corruption that President Biden and the Biden Crime Family lied to the American people about,” the congressman said in a statement. “It is unfortunate that President Biden and his family continue to do everything they can to evade responsibility instead of disclosing their decades of misconduct.”

Democrats didn’t rush to Biden’s defense on Monday either. Some openly criticized the pardon:

Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna

“Democrats should have been in favor of reform and limiting pardon powers from day one of the Biden presidency. As a father, I sympathize with President Biden, but we must be the party of reform, whether it is the archaic pardon power, opposition to super PACs or sweeping war powers.”

Democrats should have been in favor of reforming and restricting pardon powers from day one of the Biden presidency. As a father, I sympathize with President Biden, but we must be the party of reform, whether it’s the archaic pardon power, opposition to super PACs, or sweeping war powers.

– Ro Khanna (@RoKhanna) December 2, 2024

Democratic Congressman Greg Stanton

“I respect President Biden, but I think he got this wrong. This was not a politically motivated prosecution. Hunter committed crimes and was convicted by a jury of his peers.”

Colorado Democratic Governor Jared Polis

“While as a father I certainly understand President Joe Biden’s natural desire to help his son by pardoning him, I am disappointed that he has put his family before the country. This is a bad precedent that could be abused by future presidents and will unfortunately damage his reputation.”