00:00Hunter Biden, pardon not good for my father's legacy. Former president's son says clemency
00:05easily criticized, but protected him from Donald Trump's revenge and retribution.
00:12Hunter Biden has said that his father's decision to pardon him was
00:15not good for the former U.S. president's legacy. The son of Joe Biden was pardoned
00:20of federal gun charges by his father in 2024 before he was due to be sentenced on firearms
00:26charges. The pardon covered any federal offenses committed between January 2014
00:31and December 2024. The former president, who left office in January 2025, repeatedly insisted that
00:40he would not pardon his son, but said he ultimately intervened because Hunter had been selectively
00:45and unfairly prosecuted. Hunter Biden spoke to Newsnight about being pardoned by his father.
00:51Hunter Biden spoke to Newsnight about being pardoned by his father.
00:54Hunter Biden has said that his father's decision to pardon him was not good for
00:59the former U.S. president's legacy. The son of Joe Biden was pardoned of federal gun charges by his
01:05father in 2024 before he was due to be sentenced on firearms charges. The pardon covered any federal
01:12offenses committed between January 2014 and December 2024. The former president, who left office in January
01:20January 2025, repeatedly insisted that he would not pardon his son, but said he ultimately intervened because
01:27Hunter had been selectively and unfairly prosecuted.
01:31Advertisement. Hunter Biden has now acknowledged that the decision was damaging to his father and the country.
01:37Was it good for our Constitution? Was it good for the American people? Was it good for my dad's legacy?
01:43No, on all counts.
01:45It was not, he told BBC's Newsnight on Friday. It was something that is easily criticized and for good reason.
01:52And I can't pretend otherwise, he added.
02:06Hunter Biden, who has repeatedly been targeted by Donald Trump and his allies, said the pardon had protected him from
02:13the new president's revenge and retribution.
02:15He was convicted in federal court in Delaware in June 2024 of three felony offenses relating to a gun purchase.
02:23Prosecutors said he had lied on a federal form by stating that he was not an unlawful user of, or
02:29addicted to, drugs when he bought the firearm.
02:32Hunter Biden has previously spoken openly about his struggles with crack cocaine addiction.
02:37Joe Biden repeatedly denied having plans to pardon his son, but in a statement in December 2024, he said,
02:43Today, I signed a pardon for my son, Hunter. From the day I took office, I said I would not
02:50interfere with the Justice Department's decision-making,
02:53and I kept my word even as I have watched my son being selectively and unfairly prosecuted.
02:59Father's cancer worsens.
03:01Hunter Biden also gave an update on his father's health after the former president was diagnosed with prostate cancer in
03:07May 2025 that had spread to his bones.
03:10The only thing that I say about my dad, about his health right now, is I wish he would complain
03:15more, because it's not good, he said.
03:18The cancer has spread, it's metastasized into his bones and further.
03:22It's very painful, and it's very debilitating in many respects.
03:27But he's still out there.
03:28He's still doing this thing that, he so believes in this country.
03:32And as long as he's alive, I promise you he's going to continue to fight.
03:41He's still doing this thing that, he's still doing this thing that, he's still doing this thing that, he's still
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03:44thing that, he's still doing this thing that, he's still doing this thing that, he's still doing this thing that,
03:45he's still doing this thing that, he's still doing this thing that, he's still doing this thing that, he's still
03:45doing this thing that, he's still doing this thing that, he's still doing this thing that, he's still doing this
03:45thing that, he's still doing this thing that, he's still doing this thing that, he's still doing this thing that,
03:45he's doing this thing that, he's doing this thing that, he's doing this thing that, he's doing this thing that,
03:45he's doing this thing that, he's doing this thing that, he's doing this thing that, he's doing this thing that,
03:46he's doing this thing
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