‘What Changed?!’ Reporters Shout Questions at Biden About Hunter Pardon as He Departs for Africa — And Again as He Lands

Sarah RumpfDec 2nd, 2024, 10:03 am
 

Reporters shouted questions at President Joe Biden on Monday as he departed for Luanda, Angola about his decision to pardon his son, Hunter Biden — and then again when he landed at an interim stop in Cape Verde.

The president ignored the press inquiries both times, according to video captured by C-SPAN.

Biden made a surprise announcement Sunday evening that he was pardoning his son, criticizing the “weaponization” of the justice system that he described as having “selectively, and unfairly” investigated and prosecuted his son. Hunter Biden had been convicted of federal gun charges and tax evasion charges, and was facing sentencing on December 12 and 16 respectively.

The pardon covers both sets of charges as well as any other crimes “which he has committed or may have committed or taken part in during the period from Jan. 1, 2014, through Dec. 1, 2024″ — an effort to insulate Hunter Biden from further investigations initiated by President-elect Donald Trump’s appointees to the Department of Justice or FBI.

Biden’s decision to pardon his son despite repeated past proclamations he would do no such thing drew criticism, not just from Trump and other Republicans but also from the president’s supporters.

C-SPAN Communications Director Howard Mortman posted a short clip of Biden boarding Air Force One earlier Monday morning as he headed to Angola’s capital city, which he later tweeted was the first visit ever to Angola by a sitting U.S. president and first visit by a U.S. president to Africa since 2015.

In the clip, reporters can be heard shouting at Biden, “Mr. President, what changed your mind on the pardon?” and “Mr. President, what changed?” The president does not react and boards the plane.

Mortman posted another clip of Biden landing at the Amílcar Cabral International Airport in Sal, Cape Verde (mistakenly originally identifying the stop as Luanda), in which reporters once again shouted questions at the president to no avail.

“Mr. President! Mr. President, why did you decide to pardon your son?” a reporter called out as Biden walked to a waiting car.

Watch the clips above via C-SPAN.

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Sarah Rumpf - Contributing Editor

Sarah Rumpf joined Mediaite in 2020 and is a Contributing Editor focusing on politics, law, and the media. A native Floridian, Sarah attended the University of Florida, graduating with a double major in Political Science and German, and earned her Juris Doctor, cum laude, from the UF College of Law. Sarah's writing has been featured at National Review, The Daily Beast, Reason, Law & Crime, Independent Journal Review, Texas Monthly, The Capitolist, Breitbart Texas, Townhall, RedState, The Orlando Sentinel, and the Austin-American Statesman, and her political commentary has led to appearances on television, radio, and podcast programs across the globe. Follow Sarah on Bluesky and Threads.