President Joe Biden’s public justification of his decision to pardon his son — accusing the Justice Department of political targeting — threatens to undermine the image he carefully cultivated through decades in politics as an honest broker whose principal loyalty was to protecting the sanctity of critical US institutions.

The White House on Monday defended President Biden’s decision to pardon his son Hunter Biden after insisting for more than a year that he wouldn’t do so. Press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told

President Joe Biden's argument that his son was prosecuted because of political pressure echoed Donald Trump's criticism of charges from Jan. 6 riot.