The first poll regarding President Joe Biden’s pardon of his son, Hunter Biden, reveals that the majority of Americans oppose the decision.
In a Napolitan News Service survey shared with Secrets on Thursday, only 30% of registered voters supported the expansive pardon granted to Hunter Biden. A majority, 62%, opposed the move, with 41% saying they “strongly” disapproved.
This development follows repeated assurances from President Biden that he would not pardon his son, who faced multiple counts of gun and tax fraud charges. Despite these promises, Biden reversed his stance this week, granting a pardon that spans 11 years.
Biden defended the decision, stating he believed his son had been unfairly targeted by prosecutors. This sentiment mirrors claims made by President-elect Donald Trump about the legal cases he has faced.
However, the poll results show Americans view the situations differently. Some 54% disagreed with Biden’s reasoning for the pardon, while opinions about Trump’s claims of DOJ bias were more divided—46% agreed Trump had been unfairly targeted, compared to 42% who disagreed.
Pollster Scott Rasmussen noted that the survey also highlights shifting opinions among Democrats regarding Biden, whose approval rating is currently the lowest for any sitting president.
“In this hyper-partisan world, it’s stunning that only 52% of Democrats support the president’s pardon. This is just the beginning of partisan re-evaluation. I suspect the anger at Biden among Democrats is ready to bubble over. Over time, the party will come to believe that the only reason they lost in 2024 is because Biden selfishly tried to run for re-election,” Rasmussen said.
He also pointed out, “It’s interesting to note that more voters think Trump was persecuted unfairly than believe that about Hunter.”