‘Miscarriage of justice’: President Joe Biden to pardon his son, Hunter Biden

Earlier today, the departing US leader claimed his son had been “singled out” due to his family connections to the top office.

“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,” the president said in a statement on Monday (AEDT).

The president labelled the legal action against his son a “miscarriage of justice”.

Mr Biden has repeatedly said he wouldn’t intervene in his son’s legal troubles, with the White House press secretary stating as recently as September that the President wouldn’t issue a pardon for Hunter.

Hunter was convicted earlier this year of lying about his drug use when he bought a gun - a felony - and has also pleaded guilty in a separate tax evasion trial.

He was also set to be sentenced in a separate criminal case on December 16 after pleading guilty in September to federal tax evasion charges.

The pardon is reportedly expected to cover both Hunter’s gun charges conviction and guilty plea.

The reaction on social media was savage, with many accusing the US President of “lying” due to his previous statements.

American writer and lawyer Clay Travis wrote: “For years Joe Biden’s administration assured you Joe would never pardon Hunter. It’s really extraordinary how blatantly they lie.”

However Charlie Kirk, a conservative activist, had a surprising take writing: “Honestly, I don’t think this is something worth getting mad over. A father should look after his son. Joe has been so mistreated by the Democrat party and disrespected, this is the one thing he’s actually always cared about.”

Meanwhile, criminal cases against President-elect Donald Trump have come to a standstill after a sweeping ruling on presidential immunity by the Supreme Court - all but ensuring Biden’s Republican rival will likely never see a jail cell, even after his landmark conviction for falsifying business records in May.

“I said I would not interfere with the Justice Department’s decision-making, and I kept my word even as I have watched my son being selectively, and unfairly, prosecuted,” Biden said in Monday’s statement.

“The charges in his cases came about only after several of my political opponents in Congress instigated them to attack me and oppose my election.

“I believe in the justice system, but as I have wrestled with this, I also believe raw politics has infected this process and it led to a miscarriage of justice.”

- With AFP