After several days off to celebrate unity and togetherness on Thanksgiving, The view The co-hosts returned to a shared Hot Topics table to discuss President Joe Biden’s pardon of his son Hunter Biden over gun and tax convictions.

Host Whoopi Goldberg opened the show’s first rebroadcast since the holidays by stoking a spirited debate after pointing out Donald Trump’s long list of previous pardons (including Michael Flynn, Roger Stone and more), although conservative panelist Alyssa Farah Griffin stood her ground remained the only critic to criticize Biden’s decision.

“That’s what presidents do every time. They do it every time, they pardon someone, so I’m not sure why it’s like this now,” Goldberg said, before Griffin elaborated on her feelings by pointing out that she had a “closest family member died because of addiction issues goes to prison and is released again,” and who to this day is still trying to have his record expunged in order to find fair employment opportunities.

“Most Americans are dealing with the consequences of their actions, and no one powerful and politically connected is going to step in and save them,” Griffin noted. “That feeds the idea in many parts of this country that there are simply different rules for those in power.”

Griffin, who previously worked for Trump’s White House communications team, also sharply criticized Biden and his aides for what she said amounted to a “lie” about Biden’s intentions to eventually pardon his son, after both Biden and the press secretary of the White House, Karine Jean-Pierre repeatedly denied that Biden would pardon his only surviving son.

“I felt bad for Karine Jean-Pierre,” Griffin said of Jean-Pierre’s repeated denials that Biden would pardon his son. “That’s why people don’t trust Washington, that’s why they don’t trust politicians. I know many of us like Joe Biden, but I find it disappointing and bad for our institutions.”

Sunny Hostin, who previously worked as a prosecutor, said she felt Biden’s son would not have prosecuted him if his last name had been different and he had not had ties to his powerful father.

“So many of the people who committed this crime are not being prosecuted. “Imagine the guilt that Joe Biden has to live with if he thinks that his son, his only surviving son, is being prosecuted because he is his son,” Ana Navarro added before speaking directly to Biden’s son . “Hunter, your father gave you a very, very big gift. The gift of freedom.”

Griffin, still pushing back, said she understood that as a mother Biden would pardon his son, but asked, “Why lie about it for so long?” Goldberg pushed back, urging her colleague not to portray it as a lie, while Griffin reiterated that the move would set a dangerous precedent.

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“It sets a precedent for all of us to open our eyes because we promoted someone who was in a similar situation, who didn’t have a drug problem and who knew what he was doing,” Goldberg responded, referring to Trump’s election . “I think Biden had no intention of pardoning Hunter,” she later continued. “I think as more things fall to the ground,” he said, “why am I busting my butt to stay upright and do this when no one else is?”

Griffin reiterated that she believes “the presidency should be more important than his feelings,” while Goldberg pushed back, telling her colleague, “I can’t believe this upsets people.”

Biden announced his decision to pardon his son over the weekend, releasing a statement in which he said: “I believe in the justice system, but as I have wrestled with it, I also believe that raw politics has infected this process and too.” “miscarriage of justice.”

The view airs weekdays at 11 a.m. ET/10 a.m. PT on ABC.