California Gov. Gavin Newsom is the latest high-profile Democrat to break with President Joe Biden over the president’s decision to pardon his son, Hunter.
Newsom told POLITICO on Tuesday that he was disappointed by the action and can’t support the decision.
“With everything the president and his family have been through, I completely understand the instinct to protect Hunter,” Newsom said in the interview. “But I took the president at his word. So by definition, I’m disappointed and can’t support the decision.”
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Politicians across the aisle have criticized President Biden's decision to grant clemency to his son just weeks before leaving the White House — something he repeatedly promised he would not do.
Hunter Biden pleaded guilty earlier this year to federal tax evasion charges and was found guilty in a separate firearms case. He faced more than a decade behind bars and was due to be sentenced this month.
President Biden said his son was "unfairly, prosecuted" by his "political opponents in Congress," alleging they sought to damage his reelection campaign.
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While some Democrats like Newsom have said this undermines their trust in the president, others have said it sets a dangerous standard.
"I am disappointed that he put his family ahead of the country," Colorado Democratic Gov. Jared Polis said in a statement. "This is a bad precedent that could be abused by later Presidents and will sadly tarnish this reputation."
