Washington Post warns that Hunter Biden pardon helps Trump's weaponized DOJ claims: ‘Selfish act’

The Washington Post editorial board lamented President Biden’s recent pardoning of his son Hunter Biden, saying it gives cover to President-elect Donald Trump’s long-held claims that the Department of Justice is weaponized against him.

The board admitted in an editorial that Biden has every right to pardon his son, who was convicted on felony firearm charges and several tax evasion charges earlier this year, but said the pardon benefits Trump, who is currently working to reshape the justice system. 

"[Biden] risks deepening many Americans’ suspicion that the justice system is two-tiered, justifying Mr. Trump’s drive to reshape it — or, because turnabout is fair play, to use it to benefit his own side," the board stated Monday, a day after Biden announced the pardon of his son. 

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"President-elect Donald Trump is selecting radical MAGA loyalists for top national security positions, signaling his intention to upend the professionalism and independence of institutions that wield some of the federal government’s most awesome powers," the board wrote, adding, "And President Joe Biden just gave him cover."

The editorial grilled Biden for his apparent flip-flop on the topic, questioning how the president could claim pardoning Hunter was just, when he had previously said he would not pardon him. 

"Mr. Biden, of course, argues that pardoning his son strikes a blow for fairness in law enforcement… Yet such considerations were apparently not so compelling when he pledged previously not to pardon Hunter," the board wrote.

"And his son clearly broke the law," the board added, questioning Biden’s appeal to fairness.

The board continued, arguing that Biden’s move throws the DOJ and other law enforcement officials under the bus. "By implication, Mr. Biden casually impugns investigators at the IRS and the FBI, career prosecutors, Attorney General Merrick Garland and a federal judge in Delaware."

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The outlet also complained that the move wipes out all investigations into his son’s entire alleged criminal history, which stretches back for some time.

"The president’s sweeping pardon covered any and all federal crimes his son might have committed over the past 10 years, including those that have not been charged, without going through the traditional Justice Department process. This covers potential illegal behavior by Hunter Biden going back to 2014, six years before Mr. Biden became president."

The argument returned to how Biden’s move helps Trump, with the board noting, "No one should be surprised if Mr. Trump invokes the Hunter Biden pardon to justify clemency for many more of his allies, potentially including Jan. 6 insurrectionists."

Concluding the piece, the editorial board more forcefully trashed Biden’s actions: "With this one intemperate, selfish act, the president has undermined, in hindsight, the lofty rationales he offered for seeking the presidency four years ago and indelibly marred the final chapter of his political career."

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The White House replied to Fox News Digital's request for comment by forwarding commentary from an anonymous Democratic strategist, who stated, "Like last month’s election results, this is a revealing example of how out-of-touch D.C. elites are with mainstream Americans. For years, Republicans’ Hunter attacks have barely registered with the American people; and to the extent that anyone even remembers this, they’ll just relate to a father loving his hurting son. And perversely, for years, legacy media has treated Democrats *worse* than they treat Trump because they try to protect norms."

Gabriel Hays is an associate editor for Fox News Digital.