GOP senator: Trump shouldn’t pardon Hunter Biden

Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) says President-elect Trump should not pardon Hunter Biden, President Biden’s son, of felony charges related to his purchase of a revolver in 2018, nor the tax charges he pleaded guilty to in September.

“I don’t think he should pardon Hunter. I think we need to be very careful about having a dual system of justice where, you know, the powerful or the sons and daughters of the powerful get off scot-free,” Johnson told “Dan Abrams Live” on NewsNation.

Johnson, a Trump ally, however, said he could see the president-elect supporting a commutation or reduction of Hunter Biden’s sentence.

“I could see possibly commuting the sentence, reducing it, and it wouldn’t surprise me if President Trump would do that,” he said. “I would not pardon Hunter. I would certainly not. I wouldn’t scream about commuting his sentence or reducing it in some way, shape or form.”

Hunter Biden was convicted in June for lying about his drug abuse on a federal firearms purchase form in 2018. He acknowledged to being addicted to cocaine at the time.

He faces up to 25 years in prison when he is sentenced next month.

Johnson said President Biden shouldn’t pardon his son, either.

“I don’t think President Biden should pardon him. I don’t think President Trump should pardon him, but I think by President Trump signaling that he might commute the sentence or do something to lessen it, hopefully that will convince Joe Biden not to pardon his son,” he said. “I think that would be a terrible example.”

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters Thursday that the president doesn’t have any plans to pardon his son.

“Our answer stands, which is no,” she said.