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CNN correspondent Jeff Zeleny revealed startling insights about the motivation behind President Biden’s recent blanket pardon of his son Hunter, suggesting it was a preemptive move against potential future investigations.
The pardon, which covers the period from 2014 to present, encompasses various allegations including influence peddling, prostitution involvement, and Hunter’s role in managing family finances.
WATCH — CNN Chief National Affairs Correspondent Jeff Zeleny says Joe Biden pardoned Hunter for all crimes for the past 11 years out of fear that his family would be investigated by the Trump DOJ. pic.twitter.com/Z07GB7sKm0
— Gabriela Iglesias🇺🇲 (@iglesias_gabby) December 2, 2024
“We were told that this came to a head this weekend, and this is why President Biden decided now to do this. But as Isaac was just saying, that really is a sense of the conversation that has been going on really inside the family,” Zeleny reported.
He emphasized the private nature of the decision, stating, “I’m told this has been very much a family discussion and something that has been not widely shared or discussed as a policy matter inside the West Wing.”
Notably, Zeleny highlighted concerns about future legal implications: “But there was a worry of future prosecutions or future the potential of what the incoming Trump Justice Department could do.”
Biden just pardoned his son after saying this…pic.twitter.com/Hx2JWOvlqz
— Jeffery Mead (@the_jefferymead) December 2, 2024
The CNN correspondent acknowledged the complexity of Biden’s decision, particularly given his previous stance. “But for now, this moment, this certainly is a decision that President Biden, I’m guessing, did not come too easily. But as you played that statement before, so much has changed since June when he told David Muir of ABC News that he would not do that.”
Zeleny concluded by explaining the timing: “Of course, his station in life has changed. Did not complete his campaign. So that is why, leading up to this, that’s why I’m told a decision was reached finally this weekend after spending time together in Nantucket.”