Jon Stewart Says ‘I Respect’ President Biden for Pardoning Son Hunter Despite Pledges Not to: ‘Hypocrisy Isn’t Illegal … Why Not Take Care of Your Kid?’
· Yahoo NewsGenerate Key Takeaways
On Monday night’s episode of “The Daily Show,” Jon Stewart shared his thoughts on President Joe Biden pardoning his son Hunter Biden, even though he had repeatedly said in the past that he wouldn’t.
“Hypocrisy isn’t illegal, nor is it particularly unusual in politics,” Stewart said. “It’s not like he’s ever going to run again. So why not take care of your kid, even if you said you weren’t gonna? I respect it. I don’t have a problem with it.”
More from Variety
- President Joe Biden Pardons Son Hunter Biden
- Jon Stewart Urges Democrats to 'Exploit the Loopholes' Like Republicans Do Because They 'Don't Give a F-- About Your Norms'
- Jon Stewart Analyzes What Went Wrong for Democrats, Says 'This Isn't Forever' After Trump's Election Win: 'We Don't Know What's Going to Happen in Four Years at All'
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Stewart went on to explain that, for him, the true issue is that “the rest of the Democrats made Biden’s pledge to not pardon Hunter the foundation of their defense of America, this grand experiment.” He then pointed out the “dance” Democrats had to do following the news of Biden’s pardon.
“The Democrats made this case an example of why Americans should believe in our system. And it’s hard. Democrats have the tougher road of defending our institutions and systems as being flawed, but still valuable. Republicans just run on blowing this shit up,” Stewart said. “But at every turn, Democrats keep getting caught creating a purity test for a system that they can’t seem to pass themselves.”
The “Daily Show” host also expressed his understanding of some Republicans’ reactions to the pardon, noting that “Biden did make this line of attack particularly available, seeing as how he spent so long saying he wouldn’t do it, because of how much he respects the system.”
President Biden announced Sunday night that he pardoned his son Hunter, who earlier this year was convicted of gun-related felony charges in Delaware and pleaded guilty to tax evasion in California.
Advertisement
Advertisement
“I believe in the justice system, but as I have wrestled with this, I also believe raw politics has infected this process and it led to a miscarriage of justice — and once I made this decision this weekend, there was no sense in delaying it further,” the president said in a statement. “I hope Americans will understand why a father and a president would come to this decision.”
Best of Variety
- New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week
- What's Coming to Disney+ in December 2024
- What's Coming to Netflix in December 2024
Sign up for Variety's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.