All GOP presidential candidates have either said they would not pardon Hunter Biden, or have remained silent on the question.
Biden could face charges in either D.C. or the Central District of California for alleged tax crimes, and special counsel David Weiss is seeking an indictment against him on a felony gun charge, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced Wednesday. Despite these mounting legal troubles, President Joe Biden will not pardon his son, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre has said.
The Daily Caller contacted the campaigns of former President Donald Trump, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, former Vice President Mike Pence, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, radio host Larry Elder, former Texas Rep. Will Hurd and former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson.
No candidate voiced support for pardoning the president’s son, with the campaigns of DeSantis, Elder and Hurd explicitly telling the Daily Caller they would not pardon him.
Hutchinson’s spokesperson pointed the Caller to his previous remarks opposing the practice of floating pardons during presidential campaigns.
Conservative entrepreneur Ramaswamy is the only Republican presidential candidate who has said he would be “open” to the idea of pardoning “anyone,” including members of the Biden family, telling the New York Post in August that doing so would be “in the interest of moving the nation forward.”
Ramaswamy’s spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin told the Caller on Friday that the candidate has “no plans to pardon Hunter Biden,” noting that Ramaswamy said “he is open to pardoning anyone who is the subject of a political prosecution.”
She also stressed that Ramaswamy “believes there was bribery at play,” with the Bidens and Ukraine, which “he would never pardon for.”
WILMINGTON, DELAWARE – JULY 26: Hunter Biden, son of U.S. President Joe Biden, arrives to the J. Caleb Boggs Federal Building on July 26, 2023 in Wilmington, Delaware. Biden is in court to review a plea deal reached with federal prosecutors on misdemeanor tax charges. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
All other candidates either did not respond or refused to answer several inquiries from the Caller.
Several presidential candidates have said they would consider pardoning Trump, who currently faces four indictments. (RELATED: Ramaswamy Demands 2024 Rivals Either Pledge To Pardon Trump Or Explain Why They Won’t)
Ramaswamy and Elder have both committed to pardoning Trump on their first day in office, while Haley has said a pardon could be on the table.