Reflecting on the Implications of a Presidential Pardon

Despite saying multiple times that he would never do it, the US president, Joe Biden, has now pardoned his only surviving son. Hunter Biden was due to face sentencing later this month for his conviction on federal gun charges and a separate tax case. The decision, as America prepares for the return of the president-elect, Donald Trump, has left some Democratic lawmakers frustrated and disappointed. Reged Ahmad speaks to the Guardian’s Washington DC bureau chief David Smith about the ‘heartfelt hypocrisy’ of Biden’s balancing act between country and family, and why he sees Biden’s controversial move as a vote of no confidence in America’s institutions as he walks out the door You can support the Guardian at theguardian.com/fullstorysupport