Biden pardons son Hunter; Trump suggests freeing Jan 6 rioters and rages against ‘miscarriage of Justice’: Live updates

Colorado’s Democratic Governor Jared Polis has slammed President Joe Biden for choosing “his family ahead of the country” after he pardoned his son, Hunter Biden, despite previously stating he would not do so.

The president sent shockwaves through the political world on Sunday night when he announced his decision to grant his son clemency, claiming that he had been “selectively, and unfairly, prosecuted” by the Justice Department.

“No reasonable person who looks at the facts of Hunter’s cases can reach any other conclusion than Hunter was singled out only because he is my son – and that is wrong,” Biden said.

Polis, who publicly called for Biden to step off the Democratic party’s ticket in July, was among the first Democrats to voice their disapproval.

The Colorado governor used Biden’s own words against him following Donald Trump’s conviction on 34 felony counts in May, stating that “no one is above the law.”

Former US attorney general Eric Holder says that Hunter Biden’s pardon by his father was “warranted.”

“Here’s the reality,” he wrote on X. “No USAtty (attorney) would have charged this case given the underlying facts. After a 5 year investigation the facts as discovered only made that clear.

“Had his name been Joe Smith the resolution would have been – fundamentally and more fairly – a declination. Pardon warranted.”

Holder went on to take aim at Donald Trump’s nomination for FBI Director, writing: “Ask yourself a vastly more important question. Do you really think Kash Patel is qualified to lead the world’s preeminent law enforcement investigative organization? Obvious answer: hell no.”

Yes. In his final weeks in office, Trump pardoned Charles Kushner, the father of his son-in law, Jared Kushner. He also pardoned multiple allies convicted in special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation.

Trump over the weekend announced plans to nominate the elder Kushner to be the U.S. envoy to France in his next administration.

President Bill Clinton pardoned his half-brother Roger Clinton in 2001, after he had completed a prison term for drug charges.

Clinton also pardoned his former business partner Susan McDougal, who had been sentenced to two years in prison for her role in the Whitewater real estate deal.

Donald Trump was seen meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s wife Sara Netanyahu at his Florida golf club on Sunday.

The meeting comes as Senator Lindsey Graham has said that the president-elect wants to secure an Israel-Gaza ceasefire before he takes office.

According to Graham, Trump “wants a deal to free the hostages and end the war as soon as possible, preferably before he takes office,” Axios reported.

“Trump is more determined than ever to release the hostages and supports a ceasefire that includes a hostage deal,” Graham told Axios. “He wants to see it happening now.”

“I want people in Israel and in the region to know that Trump is focused on the hostages issue. He wants the killing to stop and the fighting to end.”

Watergate prosecutor Jill Wine-Banks has sided with President Joe Biden over his decision to pardon his son Hunter, saying he was only prosecuted because of his last name.

Appearing on MSNBC on Sunday, she said she is “relieved and thrilled” that Biden did it.

“This was one of the cases that called out for clemency,” she said.

“Hunter Biden, first of all, would not ever be prosecuted for the gun crime but for his last name. Second of all, he was addicted, and that was a cause of his actions.

“He has now been sober for many years, and this is a time when it is really appropriate for a grant of clemency.”

Former National Security Advisor John Bolton has compared Kash Patel, Donald Trump’s nomination for head of FBI, to one of the Soviet Union’s most feared and brutal secret police chiefs.

“Trump has nominated Kash Patel to be his Lavrenty Beria,” Bolton said, speaking to NBC News’ “Meet The Press” on Sunday. “Fortunately, the FBI is not the NKVD. The Senate should reject this nomination 100-0.”

NKVD refers to the interior ministry and secret police of the Soviet Union, which was in place from 1934 to 1946.

Lavrentiy Beria was appointed by Joseph Stalin as deputy chief of the Soviet secret police and was head of the Soviet atomic bomb project, according to the Atomic Heritage Foundation.

He is known for his violent tactics, including kidnapping, torture and rape, which he used to advance within the ranks of the secret police.

Having won the election and sweeping to power, Republicans are planning an ambitious 100-day agenda with President-elect Donald Trump in the White House and GOP lawmakers in a congressional majority to accomplish their policy goals.

Donald Trump has picked Florida sheriff, Chad Chronister, to run the Drug Enforcement Agency. Chronister is the sheriff of Hillsborough County, which covers the Tampa Bay area.

“I am pleased to nominate Sheriff Chad Chronister for Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA),” Trump posted on Truth Social on Saturday evening.

“For over 32 years, Sheriff Chad Chronister has served the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, and received countless commendations and awards for keeping his community SAFE. A proud graduate of the FBI National Academy’s 260th Session, Chad is Co-Chairman of the Regional Domestic Security Task Force for Region IV Tampa Bay, Council Member of the Florida Attorney General’s Statewide Council on Human Trafficking, Chairman of the Criminal Justice Sub-Committee, Vice-Chairman of the Hillsborough County Public Safety Coordinating Council, and Vice-Chairman of the Hillsborough County Public Schools Citizen Oversight Committee.

“As DEA Administrator, Chad will work with our great Attorney General, Pam Bondi, to secure the Border, stop the flow of Fentanyl, and other Illegal Drugs, across the Southern Border, and SAVE LIVES. Congratulations to Chad, his wife Nikki, and two wonderful sons!”

Following the outcome of the presidential election, New York State Senator Liz Krueger has floated an interesting idea for her state… join Canada.

Krueger, whose district includes Manhattan, has suggested New York secede from the United States and become a province of Canada to protest Donald Trump’s policies on things like mass deportation.

“It’s not unreasonable to think outside of the box,” Krueger said to Politico this month.

The Senator first proposed a secession in September.

“I thought I would suggest to Canada that instead of us all trying to illegally cross the border at night without them noticing, which is pretty hard because there’s a lot of us, that they should instead agree to let us be the southeast province, a new province of Canada,” Krueger said in an interview at the time.

President-elect Donald Trump has announced he will nominate MAGA loyalist Kash Patel to lead the FBI.

For Patel to steer the agency, current FBI Director Christopher Wray would need to resign or be fired. Trump appointed him in 2017 and he has three years left in his 10-year term.

Trump announced his pick of of Patel, who has pledged to go after Trump’s enemies in the media, on Saturday evening.

Michelle Del Rey has more: