Former White House press secretary Jen Psaki reacted on Monday to information that her onetime boss, President Joe Biden, had pardoned his son Hunter Biden.
“If you recall the president saying repeatedly over the last few months that he would not pardon his own son ― for months, he’s been saying that — you’d be correct,” the MSNBC host stated on “Inside.”
“It was a commitment that was widely applauded, for good reason, including by me. And last night, Joe Biden reversed course on that commitment.”
She stated Biden’s choice was “not good politics” and steered it will harm the legacy of “someone who has consistently stood for principle over personal needs.”
“Yes, Hunter Biden has done some stupid things,” she stated. “And yes, Hunter Biden has done some illegal things.”
The president’s son, who’s recovering from drug dependancy, “should not have lied about his drug use when filling out paperwork to register for a handgun,” and “of course, he should have paid his taxes in full and on time,” Psaki stated.
“My bet is Joe Biden knows that too, but he made his decision not as a politician. He made it as a dad,” she added.
Hunter Biden was set to be sentenced later this month on gun and tax fees in two separate instances. He confronted jail time for mendacity on a federal kind when he purchased a gun in 2018 and stated he wasn’t a drug person, and for failing to pay his taxes.
Psaki famous that Hunter Biden is a personal citizen and that in a matter of months, Joe Biden shall be, too.
“He’s not a threat to our intelligence-gathering, to our national intelligence or to our law enforcement institutions,” she stated of Hunter Biden.
“So tonight and moving forward, we’re going to spend most of our time talking about the people who are and who may be,” she added.
She devoted the following section to analyzing two of Donald Trump’s controversial Cabinet picks: conspiracy theorist Kash Patel for FBI director and former Fox News host Pete Hegseth for secretary of protection.
“I’ve worked in the White House and the national security space for years. I know firsthand how important these jobs are,” she stated. “They’re not political jobs either. And if Kash Patel and Pete Hegseth actually get confirmed or somehow find themselves in these jobs — five-alarm fire might be an understatement.”
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Watch her commentary beneath.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/jen-psaki-joe-biden-pardon_n_674f2cf2e4b0268c63d24513