Hunter Biden told the BBC in a Friday night interview that his father’s presidential pardon was “not good” for America or the former president’s legacy, a striking acknowledgment that underscores the political damage the clemency decision inflicted on the Biden presidency.
In a wide-ranging conversation with BBC Newsnight, Hunter Biden defended the controversial pardon while candidly admitting its costs. “It’s something that is easily criticised and for good reason,” he said, according to the BBC. “It’s not fair… All I know is that I’m grateful that he did it for me.”
The pardon, issued in December 2024, covered Hunter Biden’s federal gun conviction and guilty plea on tax charges, sparing him potential prison time. When President Joe Biden announced the decision, he reversed months of public pledges not to intervene in his son’s legal cases, citing what he called “selective and unfairly prosecuted” charges influenced by “raw politics.”
Hunter Biden acknowledged he is “the most privileged person there is” to have received such clemency. He argued that his father acted out of concern he would become a target under the incoming Trump administration, saying: “I was the only one in the world that could have gotten what I got from the only person in the world who could give it, my father.”
A significant detail emerged from the interview: Hunter Biden insisted he and his father never discussed the pardon beforehand. “There is no way that you can have those kinds of discussions that would not become public,” he told the BBC, according to the transcript.
The pardon has remained controversial since its announcement. According to reporting on Hunter Biden’s BBC statement, the decision contradicted Biden’s prior public assurances and drew criticism from both Republicans and some Democrats, who argued it damaged public trust in the justice system.
During the same interview, Hunter Biden revealed additional personal details. He said his father’s prostate cancer has spread and “metastasized into his bones and further,” describing it as “very painful” and “very debilitating.” When discussing his own struggles, he described his past addiction as “hell on earth,” recounting that at its worst he drank almost a gallon of vodka daily while smoking crack cocaine roughly every 15 minutes.
Hunter Biden also ruled out any political ambitions, saying he has “no interest in elected politics” and plans instead to focus on advocacy around addiction and recovery. He expressed deep pride in his father’s resilience, saying: “I’m most proud of his resilience. He’s proven time and time again that when you get knocked down, you can get up.”
Sources
- BBC — Hunter Biden’s full BBC Newsnight interview, including his statements on the pardon, his father’s cancer, and his own recovery journey
- The Washington Post — Reporting on Hunter Biden’s BBC interview and his comments about the pardon and his father’s health
- The Hill — Coverage of Hunter Biden’s acknowledgment that the pardon was “not good” for the American people or his father’s legacy
- The Independent — Detailed reporting on Hunter Biden’s admission that the pardon was “not good” for America, the Constitution, or his father’s reputation
