White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre faced tough questions on Monday during her first press briefing after President Biden issued a pardon for his son Hunter—an action both Biden and Jean-Pierre had repeatedly insisted would not happen.
One reporter asked whether their previous denials of a possible pardon “could be seen as lies” to the American people. Jean-Pierre responded, “One thing the president believes is to always be truthful with the American people,” adding that Biden had “wrestled with [the decision].”
Pressed on why Biden ultimately chose to issue the pardon, Jean-Pierre reiterated points from the president’s Sunday night statement, emphasizing that Hunter had been “singled out politically.”
Jean-Pierre addressed the press while aboard Air Force One, en route to Luanda, Angola. Biden was on a three-day trip to highlight a U.S.-backed railway project in Zambia, Congo, and Angola, part of his administration’s efforts to counter China’s influence over Africa’s critical minerals sector.
Since July 2023, Jean-Pierre had publicly denied at least six times that Biden was considering pardoning his son, even as Hunter faced prosecution. In November, shortly after President-elect Trump’s 2024 election victory, Jean-Pierre reaffirmed this stance. “We’ve been asked that question multiple times. Our answer stands, which is no,” she said at the time.
