CNN’s Kaitlan Collins Says Biden Pardon Sounded Like ‘Something Trump Himself Could Have Posted On Truth Social’
CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins said that President Joe Biden’s announcement of a pardon for son Hunter Biden sounded like a social media post from President-elect Donald Trump.
President Biden stunned the political media world Sunday when he announced he is pardoning his son, writing that Hunter “was singled out only because he is my son – and that is wrong.”
The pardon was greeted with widespread criticism from the media, from critics and some allies, and from President-elect Trump.
On Monday night’s edition of CNN’s The Source with Kaitlan Collins, Collins opened her show by noting the change in Biden‘s attitude toward partnering his son, and compared his language to Trump‘s:
COLLINS: With 50 days left in his presidency, Joe Biden just set off a political timebomb before leaving for Africa today, and leaving his party behind to deal with the blast radius. Tonight, there are growing questions from some, and growing concerns from others, about how President-elect Donald Trump will use Biden’s pardon, of his son Hunter, to his advantage.
Rarely, if ever, have we heard from both Biden and Trump on the same page about anything. But now, it’s in print. Their mutual anger at the Justice Department, as evidenced in Biden’s announcement that came down, late last night, clearing his son of his convictions on gun and tax charges.
Where Biden said, and I’m quoting him now, “I have watched my son being selectively, and unfairly, prosecuted… The charges in his cases came about only after several of my political opponents in Congress instigated them to attack me and oppose my election… raw politics has infected this process and it led to a miscarriage of justice.”
Now, following a statement like that that at times, sounded like something Trump himself could have posted on Truth Social, the Special Counsel who prosecuted Hunter Biden responded saying, quote, there has “Never been any evidence of vindictive or selective prosecution in this case.”
Now, regardless of where you view those statements, by pardoning his son, who Biden was seen with this weekend, I should note, over Thanksgiving, some are arguing that he’s undercut his own longtime claims that no one is above the law, and his own pledges to restore independence to the Justice Department.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: One of the things I was committed to do, when I ran, was re-establish the reputation and integrity of the Justice Department. It has become the most — it was corrupted under the last administration.
Did not, have not, and will not pick up the phone and call the Attorney General and tell him what he should or should not do in terms of who he should prosecute.
(APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: The most glaring contradiction, of course, is that Biden himself forcefully denied that he would ever do what he just did.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAVID MUIR, ANCHOR AND MANAGING EDITOR, ABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT WITH DAVID MUIR: Will you accept the jury’s outcome, their verdict, no matter what it is?
BIDEN: Yes.
MUIR: And have you ruled out a pardon for your son? BIDEN: Yes.
I said I’d abide by the jury decision. And I will do that. And I will not pardon him.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: Now, despite those public denials, we’re hearing from several people close to the President, who say, privately they thought that this would happen ultimately. With one former senior White House official who worked for Biden telling CNN, it was because they know how much he worries about his son, Hunter.
Watch above via CNN’s The Source with Kaitlan Collins.
