Joe Biden’s final chapter is overshadowed by a controversial pardon of his son Hunter
It is impossible to feel anything other than a deep sense of sadness at the circumstances surrounding the end of Joe Biden’s long and, for the most part, distinguished political career.
Just over 18 months ago, in April 2023, he made a triumphant visit to his ancestral home Ireland and received a rapturous reception on both sides of the border.
Had he taken the opportunity around the same time to announce that at age 80 he planned to retire from public life after completing his term in Washington, he might be remembered as a of the most prominent presidents of the United States. the modern era.
Instead, after returning to the US later that same month, Mr Biden declared that he would run for re-election, a decision that proved disastrous on every level as it quickly became clear that the physical and mental state linked to his advancing years meant that his 2024 campaign was completely doomed from the start.
His late withdrawal last July left his replacement as Democratic candidate, Kamala Harriswith a huge disadvantage in the match that she ultimately lost to Donald Trump.
Mr Biden also caused widespread international concern with his comments during the same period the appalling failure to hold Israel accountable for the massacre that led to the deaths of 50,000 men, women and children in Gaza.
As he prepares to finally leave the White House, one of his final actions was to grant a hugely controversial presidential pardon, ensuring that his son, Hunter Biden, would no longer face criminal charges.
Read more: Biden pardons his son Hunter, despite earlier promises not to do so
On a human level, it is easy to understand why a father who has experienced terrible tragedies in his family life would take such a step.
A few weeks after he was first elected U.S. senator in 1972, his first wife, Neilia, and daughter Naomi were killed in a traffic accident that killed his sons Beau, who would later die of a rare form of brain disease. came to life. cancer at age 46, and Hunter was fortunate to survive.
Hunter Bidenwho has been open about his addiction problems, has been prosecuted in recent years on tax and weapons charges, some, but not all, of which had questionable aspects that required careful scrutiny by the courts.
Instead, despite publicly promising that he would put his integrity above all other considerations and would not use pardons as Trump and Bill Clinton had done, his father still intervened to avoid a trial.
Mr. Biden’s double standards can only leave a dark shadow over his legacy, illustrating why so many ordinary citizens have so little trust in their political leaders.
