The remote island of Nantucket in Massachusetts, known for its windswept dunes and charming cobblestone streets, has been a cherished Thanksgiving retreat for President Joe Biden and his family for many years. It is also a place where Biden has reflected on significant decisions throughout his career.

It was on Nantucket a decade ago that Biden’s sons, Beau and Hunter, urged him to consider running for president, a decision he ultimately postponed following Beau’s tragic death from brain cancer shortly thereafter.

Two years ago, during another Thanksgiving there, his family prompted him to seek reelection despite public worries about his age. Last weekend, he made a controversial decision that some critics and even supporters believe could shadow his legacy for years to come.

On Sunday, just hours after returning to Washington from Thanksgiving on the island, Biden declared he had given a “full and unconditional pardon” to Hunter Biden, who faced federal convictions for gun-related offenses and had also admitted to allegations of tax evasion.

Despite having stated for months that he wouldn’t pardon his son, Biden ultimately changed his stance after considering the pressure Hunter faced from political rivals aiming to damage him through his family.

The backlash against the 82-year-old president came quickly, and from both sides of the political spectrum.

“Joe Biden is a liar and a hypocrite, all the way to the end,” criticized Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., on X.

Rep. Adam Schiff, a California Democrat and soon-to-be junior senator, admitted, “It sets a bad precedent.”

With less than two months left in his presidency, the wide-ranging pardon may influence how history views Biden long after he leaves office.

“Biden’s reliability as a leader is now in question because he broke his word not to pardon his son,” said Douglas Brinkley, a presidential historian and professor at Rice University. “Some will see it as unfair, while others might interpret it as a father protecting his son.”

Ultimately, Brinkley concludes, this pardon will likely leave “a dark mark” on Biden’s historical reputation.

“There’s nothing beneficial about this situation,” he remarked.

‘A heavy burden on his father’

Conversations with Biden’s supporters, historians, and political analysts—as well as insights from Biden’s memoir and commentary from politicians post-pardon—indicate that his legacy will be closely tied to his two sons and to his opponent, Donald Trump, whose two nonconsecutive terms will frame Biden’s solitary term in office.

Biden stepped into the presidency in January 2021 with a commitment to provide stable leadership and restore order after a tumultuous four years under Trump, whom he had narrowly defeated. At that time, the nation was grappling with the COVID pandemic, leading Biden to prioritize vaccine distribution and implement a controversial mask mandate. As vaccination rates increased and COVID cases declined, he eventually lifted the mask requirement, allowing Americans to return to more normal routines.

However, Biden’s presidency was also marked by challenges. Inflation reached highs not seen in 40 years, a tumultuous withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan led to the deaths of 13 service members, and an increase in illegal migration at the southern border, compounded by international conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza, tested the United States’ global standing.

The uncertainties surrounding Biden’s decision to forgo a second term—sparked by doubts about his ability to defeat Trump again and the entry of Vice President Kamala Harris into the Democratic race—cast a shadow over his presidency. Harris’s subsequent defeat by Trump in November significantly impacted Biden’s legacy, as many of his achievements in office may be overshadowed upon Trump’s return to the White House in January.

Now, with the pardon of his son, Biden’s legacy faces even more complexity.

“Hunter Biden has been a significant burden for his father throughout his presidency,” Brinkley stated.

‘We want you to run’

During Thanksgiving on Nantucket, both of Biden’s sons encouraged him to run for president, hoping he would take over the role after Barack Obama. At that time, Biden was serving as vice president.

On November 30, 2014, shortly after the Thanksgiving dinner, Biden made a diary entry while sitting on a couch in the Naval Observatory, which is the official residence for vice presidents in Washington, D.C. He reflected on his hopes for the upcoming year in his 2017 memoir, “Promise Me, Dad: A Year of Hope, Hardship, and Purpose.”

“NavObs, November 30, 2014, 7:30 p.m.,” Joe Biden noted. “Just back from Nantucket. I pray we have another year together in 2015. Beau. Beau. Beau. Beau.”

That Thanksgiving dinner in 2014 turned out to be the last one he would share with Beau. Beau Biden, who once served as Delaware’s attorney general and was a member of the Delaware National Guard, passed away from brain cancer six months later on May 30, 2015, at the age of 46.

Biden recounts in his memoir the struggle of managing his vice presidential responsibilities while contemplating a presidential bid in 2016, all during the very difficult time when Beau was battling cancer.

“You have to run. I want you to run,” Biden recalls Beau urging him.

Hunter Biden supported this sentiment, expressing, “We want you to run.”

“Hunter insisted that out of all the potential candidates, I was the most prepared and capable of leading the country,” Biden wrote. “But it was Beau’s passionate and convincing tone that truly surprised me. He emphasized it was my duty to run, which is a term Beau did not use lightly.”

Amid the deep sorrow over losing his son, Biden chose not to enter the 2016 presidential race, watching as Trump achieved an unexpected victory over the Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton. Four years later, fulfilling his sons’ wishes, Biden ran for president and defeated Trump in a highly contentious election, where Trump controversially refused to concede his loss.

Meanwhile, the loss of Beau took a heavy toll on his younger brother, who fell into depression, began consuming alcohol heavily, and suffered from substance abuse issues.

A Yale-educated attorney, Hunter Biden was involved in various international business dealings in Ukraine and China, which became a point of contention during his father’s campaign in 2020. These matters led to investigations by the Justice Department and congressional Republicans. Trump’s pressure on Ukraine to investigate both Joe and Hunter Biden resulted in his first impeachment, which concluded in a Senate acquittal.

In the summer before last, Hunter Biden’s legal issues gained widespread attention. In June, a jury in Delaware found him guilty on three counts for providing false information about his drug use on a form while buying a gun in 2018. Later, in September, he admitted guilt for federal tax evasion related to the years 2016 to 2019. He was set to be sentenced on December 12 for the gun charges and December 16 for the tax charges.

Joe Biden’s sweeping pardon absolves his son of these convictions, both of which have been dismissed, and covers any other federal offenses Hunter may have committed in the last ten years. This is significant given that Trump had threatened to escalate the federal investigation into the Biden family’s business activities should he reclaim the presidency.

In his announcement regarding the pardon, Joe Biden stated that he observed his son “being unfairly and selectively prosecuted.”

“There has been an attempt to break Hunter, who has remained sober for five and a half years despite persistent attacks and selective prosecutions,” the president remarked. “They have tried to break Hunter, and in doing so, they’ve aimed to break me — and I have no reason to think this will stop now.”

Biden’s decision may have been influenced by Trump’s election win.

“If a different type of Republican had taken office in January, Biden might have reconsidered,” Brinkley said. “However, the thought of Trump controlling his son’s future in a federal prison was too dire a prospect.”

Supporters of Biden maintain that they comprehend the president’s motivations in this situation to safeguard his son.

“This is his only (living) child, and given Trump’s vindictive nature, he would have likely targeted Hunter even more just to prove a point,” expressed Shekar Narasimhan, a donor and long-time backer of the president. “I can’t imagine what Joe Biden is going through. However, under these conditions, I can’t fault this choice.”

Despite this, the criticism directed at Biden’s actions has been relentless, coming not only from the usual Republican critics but also from his fellow Democrats.

Senator Michael Bennett, D-Colo., expressed on X that Biden’s “choice prioritized personal concerns over his responsibilities and worsens the American public’s perception that the justice system is equitable for everyone.”

Representative Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-Wash., stated that Biden’s pardon reinforced a widespread sentiment in southwest Washington: that privileged individuals frequently receive special treatment due to a two-tiered justice system.

“The President made a misstep. No family is above the law,” she articulated on X.

Accusations Against Biden of ‘Revising History’

Presidents are granted expansive powers under the Constitution to issue pardons for federal offenses, yet many, including Biden, have faced backlash regarding their use of this authority.

Gerald Ford’s pardon of Richard Nixon may have cost him re-election, while Bill Clinton faced significant backlash for a range of pardons in his last days in office, among which was one for his brother, who had been conviction of drug offenses. Additionally, Trump pardoned numerous individuals during his first term, including his son-in-law’s father and several close associates convicted of various crimes, including financial fraud and obstructing justice.

However, Biden stands out as the first president to pardon one of his own children.

Judge Mark Scarsi, a federal judge appointed by Trump, concluded the criminal tax case against Hunter Biden on Tuesday, criticizing the president’s depiction of his son’s legal troubles. The judge noted that while the Constitution does empower the president with broad clemency powers, it does not permit him to alter history.

“For instance,” Scarsi remarked, “the President claims that Mr. Biden was ‘treated differently’ than others ‘who were late paying their taxes because of serious addictions,’ suggesting that Mr. Biden was one of those who failed to pay taxes on time due to addiction. But that is not the case.”

Melissa DeRosa, a Democratic strategist and author, pointed out that Biden’s decision is likely to deepen divisions within the Democratic Party.

“This decision has created a rift within the party at a time when it’s already fragmented, coming out of this election as they attempt to redefine their identity,” she mentioned.

While Americans might empathize with a parent wanting to support their child, she stated, Biden’s actions could damage his trustworthiness and legacy and how people view his fundamental character.

“He has always been seen as a man of honor and integrity,” DeRosa noted. “This situation raises questions about that perception.”