WATCH: KJP Gets Ruthlessly Grilled On Hunter Pardon: ‘You Were Declarative’

Joe Biden’s decision to pardon his son, Hunter Biden, ignited a fierce debate about integrity and accountability within the highest levels of government. The move, announced Sunday evening, comes after Biden repeatedly stated he would not use his executive authority to shield his son from legal consequences.

The pardon has drawn sharp criticism from Republicans and Democrats, with accusations of hypocrisy and a breach of public trust dominating the national discourse. During Friday’s White House press briefing, Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre faced an unrelenting barrage of questions from reporters who challenged the administration’s about-face on the issue.

One reporter pressed Jean-Pierre on Biden’s prior unequivocal statements that he would not pardon his son under any circumstances. “All of those things you laid out were known long before Thanksgiving,” the reporter stated, referencing Hunter Biden’s legal troubles and political pressures. “The president was declarative, you were declarative. The certainty with which the president and you portrayed the no-pardon stance is part of where the question comes from.”

Jean-Pierre defended the decision, claimed that the situation had evolved since the president’s earlier statements. “There has been some circumstances that have changed this, right?” she responded. “Republicans not letting up, saying they won’t stop. They’re going to continue to do this. I mentioned the recent Trump appointees in legal enforcement positions who said during the campaign they were out for retribution.”

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“There were multiple factors here. Not one thing, not one thing led to this,” she said. “The President wrestled with this over the weekend and made this decision.”

However, many argue that Biden’s decision undermines his promise to restore ethics and transparency to the White House. The timing, just weeks after President-elect Donald Trump’s victory in the 2024 election, has further fueled speculation that political considerations influenced the decision.

The fallout has been swift and bipartisan. Even some Democrats have expressed concern. A new poll even ranked Biden as the worst president in nearly half a century, a sobering verdict as he prepares to leave office on January 20. The poll placed Biden behind former presidents Jimmy Carter and Richard Nixon, whose tenures are widely considered among the most controversial in modern history.

Carter, defeated after a single term, struggled with soaring inflation and the Iran hostage crisis, while Nixon resigned in disgrace following the Watergate scandal. Yet voters now view Biden’s presidency as more detrimental.

In the poll conducted by J.L. Partners involving 1,006 registered voters, participants were asked to rank the last nine U.S. presidents from best to worst. Joe Biden found himself at the bottom of the list, deemed the least effective leader in the past 47 years.

A striking 44% of respondents ranked him among the worst two presidents, while only 14% considered him one of the top two, resulting in a net score of -30. This placed him lower than both Nixon, who had a net score of -25, and Donald Trump, with -15. James Johnson, cofounder of J.L. Partners, described the results as ‘diabolical’ for Biden.

The poll also revealed that over half of American voters disapproved of Biden’s decision to pardon his son, which further exacerbated his already low approval ratings. The controversial move led to a decline of four additional points, bringing his approval rating down to 37 percent.

For Biden, the decision marks another chapter in a presidency already facing criticism over inflation, foreign policy challenges, and a polarizing political climate. As President-elect Trump prepares to take office in January, the Hunter Biden pardon adds another contentious issue to the list of challenges awaiting the next administration.

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