The dance of denial is alive and well in Washington, and Rep. Dan Goldman just got caught center stage.
In a fiery exchange with CNN’s Brianna Keilar, Goldman was grilled about his bold July 2023 claim that President Joe Biden would never pardon his son Hunter. Fast forward to now, and Biden’s sweeping pardon has left Goldman scrambling to explain away yet another broken promise from this administration.
Let’s rewind. In July, Goldman confidently declared there was “no chance” Biden would pardon Hunter, emphasizing the administration’s supposed commitment to the independence of the Department of Justice. He even trotted out the old line about how Merrick Garland kept a Trump-appointed U.S. attorney on the Hunter case as proof of the president’s high ethical standards. But now, faced with undeniable reality, Goldman’s tune has shifted to damage control mode.
When confronted with his own words on CNN, Goldman didn’t exactly stick the landing. His initial excuse? If Hunter’s sweetheart plea deal hadn’t collapsed, the pardon wouldn’t have been necessary. Nice try, but Keilar was ready. She pointed out that Goldman made his comments after the deal fell apart, leaving his reasoning flimsier than Hunter’s tax records.
BREAKING: Dan Goldman watches a clip of himself falsely claiming there was “no chance” Joe Biden would pardon Hunter.
pic.twitter.com/DZYhfaSHpg— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) December 2, 2024
Goldman’s fallback defense? Blame Republicans. He argued that Hunter’s prosecution was politically motivated as if lying on a federal gun form and dodging taxes are suddenly partisan issues. He doubled down, suggesting that the pardon was necessary to protect Hunter from “retributive prosecution” under a future Trump-led DOJ. So now we’re supposed to believe that Hunter, who flagrantly broke federal laws, is somehow the victim in all this. That’s quite the narrative twist.
Then there’s Biden’s own justification, which raises more questions than it answers. In his statement, Biden claimed Hunter was “singled out only because he is my son,” accusing prosecutors of trying to “break Hunter” to get to him. The irony here is thick. For years, the Bidens have touted Hunter’s legal troubles as proof of the DOJ’s independence. Now that the walls are closing in, it’s suddenly a conspiracy against the president’s family. Convenient timing, wouldn’t you say?
The real issue, though, is what this pardon says about the Biden administration’s credibility—or lack thereof. Biden spent years positioning himself as the straight-shooter, the guy who would restore integrity to the White House. Yet here we are, with another high-profile flip-flop that reeks of political privilege. Hunter’s pardon isn’t about justice or fairness; it’s about damage control for a president whose family scandals keep piling up.
The double standard is glaring. Imagine if Trump had issued a blanket pardon for Don Jr. or Eric. The media and Democrats would have declared it the end of democracy. But when Biden does it, the spin is all about “protecting family” and “restoring justice.” The hypocrisy is exhausting, but it’s also telling. For this administration, promises are made to be broken—especially when it comes to protecting their own.
Dan Goldman may feel “disappointed,” but he shouldn’t be surprised. This isn’t a glitch in the Biden presidency; it’s the system working exactly as intended. The Bidens play by their own rules, and everyone else is left holding the bag.
