{"id":135348,"date":"2024-12-10T06:29:57","date_gmt":"2024-12-09T23:29:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=135348"},"modified":"2024-12-10T06:29:57","modified_gmt":"2024-12-09T23:29:57","slug":"unpardonable-double-standards-salon-com","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=135348","title":{"rendered":"Unpardonable double standards | Salon.com"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"fluid\"\r\n     data-ad-layout-key=\"-fb+5w+4e-db+86\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"7910942971\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div id=\"\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"hidden\" id=\"article_url\" value=\"2024\/12\/09\/unpardonable-double-standards\/\"\/><\/p>\n<p><span>Mainstream media <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2024\/12\/02\/us\/politics\/hunter-biden-pardon-president.html?searchResultPosition=1\"><span><u><span>spent last week<\/span><\/u><\/span><\/a><span> in a self-righteous frenzy over <a href=\"https:\/\/www.salon.com\/topic\/joe_biden\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Joe Biden<\/a>\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.salon.com\/2024\/12\/01\/singled-out-because-he-is-my-son-joe-biden-pardons-son-hunter\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">pardon<\/a> of his son.\u00a0<\/span><span>Almost none of the coverage explained that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.salon.com\/topic\/hunter_biden\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Hunter Biden<\/a> was pardoned for offenses rarely prosecuted in the first place.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Because he was in recovery and not using at the time, Hunter Biden <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.scribd.com\/document\/500423439\/Hunter-Biden-4473-Form-1-Redacted\"><span><u><span>answered<\/span><\/u><\/span><\/a><span> \u201cno\u201d on a gun permit application where it asked about drug addiction. While this may have been a \u2018context needed\u2019 response, according to the National Criminal Justice Association, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncja.org\/crimeandjusticenews\/few-prosecutions-for-lying-on-atf-gun-purchase-form#:~:text=The%20odds%20of%20being%20charged,roughly%20similar%20for%20fiscal%202020.\"><span><u><span>almost<\/span><\/u><\/span><\/a><span><u><span> no one gets prosecuted<\/span><\/u><\/span><span> for grey or even false answers on a gun permit application. Similarly, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.salon.com\/2024\/12\/09\/unpardonable-double-standards\/about:blank\"><span><u><span>the tax charges brought against Hunter Biden<\/span><\/u><\/span><\/a><span> were for first time tax offenses related to mis-claimed expenditures; such charges are rarely brought against first-time offenders, and almost never result in jail time.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"right_quote\">\n<p>When Trump pardons Jan. 6 rioters who assaulted federal police and wanted to hang Mike Pence, the upset over Hunter\u2019s pardon for lying on a form will look ridiculous.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><span>The rarity of similar, arms-length prosecutions in both cases supports a strong inference that Hunter was prosecuted for politics, not cause, as <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/briefing-room\/statements-releases\/2024\/12\/01\/statement-from-president-joe-biden-11\/\"><span><u><span>President Biden made clear.<\/span><\/u><\/span><\/a><span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>On the surface, Biden\u2019s justification echoed Trump\u2019s repeated claims of victimhood, but there\u2019s no factual comparison. Lying about expenses on a personal tax return, or drug use on a permit for a gun that was never used, isn\u2019t in the same league as Trump inciting a violent mob to attack the U.S. capital. Nor is it anywhere near Trump <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.atlantanewsfirst.com\/2023\/02\/15\/read-full-transcript-donald-trumps-call-brad-raffensperger\/\"><span><u><span>asking a state official<\/span><\/u><\/span><\/a><span> to find 11,000 votes to rig an election, decades of <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/trump-fraud-letitia-james-new-york-engoron-38bc3a7f2ccb22555c026e9bf70fd5bb\"><span><u><span>business and financial fraud<\/span><\/u><\/span><\/a><span>, a jury finding of <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/trump-rape-carroll-trial-fe68259a4b98bb3947d42af9ec83d7db\"><span><u><span>sexual abuse<\/span><\/u><\/span><\/a><span><u><span> and defamation<\/span><\/u><\/span><span>, or <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.citizensforethics.org\/reports-investigations\/crew-reports\/the-intensifying-threat-of-donald-trumps-emoluments\/\"><span><u><span>staggering emoluments<\/span><\/u><\/span><\/a><span> from foreign governments.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><strong><span>Media malfeasance on parade<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Since the pardon was announced, Fox News has churned non-stop false narratives equating the \u201cBiden crime family\u201d with Trump\u2019s long litany of felonies. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/search-results\/search\"><span><u><span>Fox News ran over 80 features covering the Biden pardo<\/span><\/u><\/span><\/a><span>n over the past week alone, yet to this day <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/search-results\/search\"><span><u><span>has still never factually<\/span><\/u><\/span><\/a><span> discussed J6 or Trump\u2019s role in it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Fox similarly <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/search-results\/search\"><span><u><span>offers no criticism<\/span><\/u><\/span><\/a><span> of Trump\u2019s plan to install a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/donald-trump\/kash-patel-said-come-journalists-now-hangs-fbi-candidacy-rcna182661\"><span><u><span>psychopath to turn the FBI<\/span><\/u><\/span><\/a><span> into a dragnet against American citizens. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/IvanDOesnot\/status\/1863262338616312090\"><span><u><span>Kash Patel<\/span><\/u><\/span><\/a><span> is so rabidly obsessed with Trump\u2019s \u2018revenge\u2019 he\u2019ll make <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theatlantic.com\/magazine\/archive\/2022\/12\/j-edgar-hoover-fbi-influence\/671900\/\"><span><u><span>J. Edgar Hoover<\/span><\/u><\/span><\/a><span> look like a puppy. Fox calls Patel, who writes children&#8217;s books <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/s?k=kash+patel+the+plot+against+the+king&amp;hvadid=604578543518&amp;hvdev=c&amp;hvlocphy=9222890&amp;hvnetw=g&amp;hvqmt=e&amp;hvrand=7223174665241219687&amp;hvtargid=kwd-1851755092512&amp;hydadcr=16877_13419407&amp;tag=googhydr-20&amp;ref=pd_sl_3z766cb74v_e\"><span><u><span>about a persecuted \u2018King Donald<\/span><\/u><\/span><\/a><span>,\u2019 an \u201c<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/politics\/trump-nominates-kash-patel-serve-fbi-director-advocate-truth\"><span><u><span>advocate for truth\u201d<\/span><\/u><\/span><\/a><span> who will use the FBI to \u201c<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/politics\/who-kash-patel-trumps-pick-lead-fbi-has-long-history-vowing-bust-up-deep-state\"><span><u><span>bust the deep state<\/span><\/u><\/span><\/a><span>.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Fox will continue to propagandize Trump to low-information voters <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/media\/2023\/sep\/23\/rupert-murdoch-climate-change-denial\"><span><u><span>in service to Murdoch\u2019s<\/span><\/u><\/span><\/a><span> and Trump donors\u2019 <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theatlantic.com\/politics\/archive\/2024\/11\/trumpist-oligarchy-big-tech-takeover-musk-bezos\/680503\/\"><span><u><span>deep-pocket interests<\/span><\/u><\/span><\/a><span> and no surprise there. What <\/span><span><em><span>is<\/span><\/em><\/span><span> surprising is that the NYT and other mainstream outlets have engaged in similar malfeasance, continuing the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/thehilltoponline.com\/2024\/11\/12\/the-double-standard-between-vp-harris-and-president-elect-trump\/\"><span><u><span>same media double standard<\/span><\/u><\/span><\/a><span> that helped return a felon to the presidency. The day Biden\u2019s pardon was announced, <\/span><span>The New York Times<\/span><span>\u00a0devoted nearly its entire cover page to the story, and, over the past week, has <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/search?query=Hunter+Biden+pardon\"><span><u><span>run at least 28 features covering the pardon<\/span><\/u><\/span><\/a><span><u><span>,<\/span><\/u><\/span><span> almost none supportive.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><strong><span>Self-righteous objections disregard reality<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Critics are correct that Biden previously said he would not pardon his son. But Biden made this statement before an untethered criminal was re-elected who, post-election, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2024\/12\/05\/us\/politics\/biden-trump-pardons.html\"><span><u><span>has paraded his plans to abuse his office<\/span><\/u><\/span><\/a><span> for un-American revenge.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Pundits also argue that the pardon weakens Democrats\u2019 commitment to the rule of law, even though <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/donald-trump\/?itid=lk_inline_manual_2\"><span><u><span>Trump<\/span><\/u><\/span><\/a><span><u><span> issued<\/span><\/u><\/span><span>\u00a0pardons for far more consequential offenses. Trump pardoned his in-law Charles Kushner, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.msnbc.com\/top-stories\/latest\/charles-kushner-trump-administration-pardon-rcna182668\"><span><u><span>and has offered him an ambassadorship, <\/span><\/u><\/span><\/a><span>after <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.justice.gov\/archive\/tax\/usaopress\/2004\/txdv04kush0818_r.htm\"><span><u><span>Kushner pleaded guilty<\/span><\/u><\/span><\/a><span>\u00a0to 18 federal charges including witness tampering, violating election laws, and tax evasion. After\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2004\/08\/19\/nyregion\/major-donor-admits-hiring-prostitute-to-smear-witness.html\"><span><u><span>Kushner\u00a0<\/span><\/u><\/span><\/a><span>found out members of his family were cooperating with authorities, he hired a prostitute to seduce his brother-in-law and sent a videotape of the affair to his sister.\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2019\/01\/30\/politics\/chris-christie-jared-kushner-father\/index.html\"><span><u><span>Chris Christie, then-U.S. attorney, called it<\/span><\/u><\/span><\/a><span>\u00a0\u201cone of the most loathsome, disgusting crimes\u201d he had ever prosecuted.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Trump also pardoned Michael Flynn after he admitted he<\/span><span> <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/donald-trump-pardon-michael-flynn-russia-aeef585b08ba6f2c763c8c37bfd678ed\"><span><u><span>lied to the FBI<\/span><\/u><\/span><\/a><span> to protect Trump in the Russia investigation. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wtsp.com\/article\/news\/politics\/who-did-trump-pardon-during-first-presidential-term\/67-abd8a81a-534e-4b4c-b912-f7e98d22d9c4\"><span><u><span>Along with Roger Stone, Paul Manafort, drug dealers and over 175 other defendants,<\/span><\/u><\/span><\/a><span> the crimes Trump pardoned are venomous snake bites compared to Hunter Biden\u2019s mosquito bite.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>When Trump pardons Jan. 6 rioters who assaulted federal police and wanted to hang Mike Pence, the upset over Hunter\u2019s pardon for lying on a form will look ridiculous.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><strong><span>Norm follows function<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>One pundit after another argues that Biden should honor norms, stand on ceremony, and throw his son to Trump\u2019s lawless and vindictive FBI to prove a point.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>If upholding norms resulted in anything like reciprocity, i.e., if it would lead Republicans to follow suit, standing on principle might have merit. But there is no evidence whatsoever that <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/mikejohnson.house.gov\/\"><span><u><span>Trump\u2019s enablers<\/span><\/u><\/span><\/a><span> care about norms; if anything, \u2018owning the libs\u2019 and other <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.businessinsider.com\/elon-musks-humor-jokes-over-years-titter-420-69-2023-4\"><span><u><span>juvenile ethos from the right<\/span><\/u><\/span><\/a><span> require rejecting them.\u00a0<\/span><span>\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<p style=\"text-align:center\"><strong><em>Want a daily wrap-up of all the news and commentary Salon has to offer? <a href=\"https:\/\/www.salon.com\/newsletter\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Subscribe to our morning newsletter<\/a>, Crash Course.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<p><span>Endorsing Biden\u2019s pardon isn\u2019t just a matter of disregarding norms already discarded by the other side. It\u2019s a reality-based refusal to stand on a burning platform while the other side holds the torch. Any recollection of Trump\u2019s first term coupled with <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thewrap.com\/trump-rfk-jr-matt-gaetz-plan-why-cabinet-picks\/\"><span><u><span>the pre-planned miscarriage of justice for his second<\/span><\/u><\/span><\/a><span> makes objecting to Biden\u2019s pardon look na\u00efve to the point of virtue signaling.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><strong><span>Biden needs to pardon everyone in Trump\u2019s crosshairs<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>If anything, Biden needs to keep the pardon ink flowing as Trump showcases <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.msnbc.com\/the-last-word\/watch\/lawrence-trump-is-asking-the-republican-senate-to-confirm-worst-cabinet-nominees-in-history-224830021632\"><span><u><span>the most dangerous and unqualified cabinet in American history<\/span><\/u><\/span><\/a><span>, expressly assembled to take down his \u201cdomestic enemies.\u201d Biden should also initiate FBI background checks, immediately, for <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/trump-transition-fbi-justice-security-clearance-9916d70ea53ed791f28c92889aac6573\"><span><u><span>any nominees Trump refuses to vet<\/span><\/u><\/span><\/a><span>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>In light of Trump\u2019s <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/magazine\/2024\/12\/04\/biden-white-house-pardons-00192610?utm_source=substack&amp;utm_medium=email\"><span><u><span>public vow<\/span><\/u><\/span><\/a><span> to wreck the government and the people in it, Biden should use his remaining time in office to issue blanket pardons to <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/newrepublic.com\/post\/188976\/kash-patel-enemies-list-democrats-republicans\"><span><u><span>those on Patel\u2019s target list<\/span><\/u><\/span><\/a><span>, including prominent Republicans like Liz Cheney of Wyoming, whom Trump\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/truthsocial.com\/@realDonaldTrump\/posts\/112111518330244944\"><span><u><span>says<\/span><\/u><\/span><\/a><span> \u201cshould go to Jail along with the rest of the Unselect Committee.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Trump\u2019s sinister threats of vengeance against every American who lawfully sought to hold him accountable for his crimes are rapidly materializing. Instead of enabling Trump\u2019s reign of terror by letting it unfold as Trump, Patel, Hegseth and other blood-thirsty goons have threatened, Biden has the pardon power to preemptively kneecap it, and he should use it.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>A president\u2019s duty to protect and defend demands no less.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"layout_template_wrapper read_more\">\n<div class=\"red_white_box\">\n<p class=\"red_box\">Read more<\/p>\n<p class=\"white_box\">about this topic<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"fluid\"\r\n     data-ad-layout-key=\"-fb+5w+4e-db+86\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"7910942971\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><div data-type=\"_mgwidget\" data-widget-id=\"1660802\">\r\n<\/div>\r\n<script>(function(w,q){w[q]=w[q]||[];w[q].push([\"_mgc.load\"])})(window,\"_mgq\");\r\n<\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.salon.com\/2024\/12\/09\/unpardonable-double-standards\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Mainstream media spent last week in a self-righteous frenzy over Joe Biden\u2019s pardon of his son.\u00a0Almost none of the coverage explained that Hunter Biden was pardoned for offenses rarely prosecuted &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=135348\" class=\"more-link\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8629],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-135348","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-u-s","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/135348","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=135348"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/135348\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=135348"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=135348"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=135348"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}