WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden is receiving strong criticism from members of his own party due to his recent pardon of Hunter Biden. This decision comes after he had consistently asserted that he would not use his presidential powers to protect his son from federal legal issues.

“He didn’t need to promise the American people that he would refrain from doing this, but he did, and promises should be honored,” U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, D-Va., remarked to reporters on Monday.

Democrats are expressing their disappointment, particularly as many had already attributed the party’s presidential election defeat last month to Biden. They argue that the 82-year-old president should have stepped back from his 2024 reelection campaign sooner, thereby allowing Vice President Kamala Harris or another contender a fair chance against President-elect Donald Trump.

For over a year, both Biden and his advisors had maintained that the president would not extend a pardon to Hunter Biden, who is currently involved in a prolonged federal investigation that started during the Trump administration. The 54-year-old son of the president was ultimately convicted last June in Delaware for illegally purchasing and possessing a firearm while being drug-dependent. Additionally, he entered a guilty plea in September in California for failing to pay taxes over several years during that same timeframe.

However, in a statement released on Sunday night, President Biden argued that his son was unjustly “targeted” for charges that many other Americans would likely avoid. He indicated that he felt his Republican critics would not cease their opposition. “Enough is enough,” Biden stated, unveiling a broadly worded pardon that absolves Hunter Biden of any federal offenses committed from 2014 onwards.

U.S. Senator Michael Bennet, D-Colo., expressed that Biden “prioritized personal interests over responsibilities,” emphasizing that the president’s choice to pardon his son “damages the public’s trust in the fairness of the justice system.”

Bennet expressed doubt that this pardon would enhance Biden’s legacy, labeling it as a “gift to Donald Trump” and forecasting that Trump could use the Hunter Biden pardon to justify his own pardons.

“This creates a perception that there’s a double standard in the legal system—one for the wealthy and powerful and another for the rest,” Bennet noted during a CNN interview. “This perception contributes to the challenges we face in preventing Trump from making a return to office. The president’s decision was made in this troubling context.”

Senator-elect Adam Schiff, D-Calif., expressed his disappointment regarding Biden’s decision, telling YSL News, “This sets a concerning precedent. I recognize as a father he wished to support his son, but this could easily be misused by future presidents. He had committed to not pardoning his son, and that promise should have been upheld.” Schiff added that Trump has already pointed to this pardon as justification for pardoning those involved in the January 6 riots, raising further concerns about possible abuses of this decision.

U.S. Senator Gary Peters, D-Mich., who chairs the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, labeled Biden’s decision “incorrect.”

“Family members and associates of a president should not be granted special treatment,” Peters stated on X. “This is an inappropriate exercise of power that damages public trust in government and encourages others to manipulate justice for personal gain.”

President Biden has positioned his presidency partly on the idea of rebuilding faith in democratic institutions and the legal system, especially after former President Trump spent four years undermining that trust and alleging that the Justice Department was being used against him. Biden’s recent pardon of his son, Hunter Biden, reflects similar views.

“The truth is: I respect the justice system, but I also think raw politics has tainted this situation, resulting in a miscarriage of justice,” Biden stated.

After the pardon, a federal judge dismissed the case against Hunter Biden concerning gun charges linked to the purchase of a revolver in 2018 when he was struggling with drug addiction.

The White House backed the pardon, explaining that “One reason the president decided to grant the pardon is that it appeared his political rivals wouldn’t let it go,” White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre commented to reporters aboard Air Force One. “It didn’t seem like they would move on.”

Not all within the Democratic Party criticize Biden; some feel that Hunter Biden’s prosecution is largely due to his father’s position.

Former Attorney General Eric Holder deemed the pardon “justified,” asserting that most prosecutors would not have pursued the gun charges unless the firearm was later involved in a crime. Holder, who oversaw the Justice Department during Obama’s presidency while Biden served as vice president, compared Hunter Biden’s case to Trump’s recent announcement of nominating longtime ally Kash Patel as FBI director.

“Consider a much more significant question,” Holder expressed on X. “Do you genuinely believe Kash Patel is fit to lead the country’s foremost law enforcement investigative body? The clear answer: no way.”

Senator Ron Wyden from Oregon expressed understanding towards Biden’s choice. “Considering how Donald Trump is politicizing the FBI, it’s plausible,” Wyden said. “I want to underscore that.” When asked if he would make a similar decision, Wyden reiterated, “It’s comprehensible.”

However, U.S. Senator Mark Warner from Virginia, among other Democrats in Congress, voiced concerns about the precedent Biden’s decision may create.

“I am let down that President Biden went back on his promise not to pardon his son,” Warner stated. “I worry about the precedent this establishes and the implications it has for how our justice system is perceived by the American public.”