A pardon? I'm all ears! Hunter Biden rides Dumbo with son Beau on Disney trip with wife Melissa and five agents a month before his sentencing

Hunter Biden, woman Melissa Cohen and lad Beau enjoyed a VIP circuit of Disneyland with friends successful their archetypal nationalist outing since Democrats were trounced successful the election.

Baby Beau, 4, and ma Melissa wore matching rodent ears. Beau's had a Santa chapeau portion Melissa's sported a reddish spotted bow. 

Hunter, 54, was spotted connected the Dumbo the Flying Elephant thrust with his lad and a friend. The trio besides hopped connected the Peter Pan thrust and Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway.

President Joe Biden's lad looked gloom contempt the parkland having the moniker the 'Happiest Place connected Earth.'

It was the archetypal sighting of Hunter since Kamala Harris mislaid the election. And it comes a period earlier he's scheduled to beryllium sentenced connected national charges related to a weapon acquisition and his taxes.

The household was joined by friends and 5 Secret Service agents. They enjoyed a private, VIP circuit of the amusement park. 

They besides munched connected funnel barroom arsenic they watched the Christmas Parade. 

Hunter Biden stayed retired of the statesmanlike contention aft his begetter exited it successful precocious July. He had been 1 of the strongest voices trying to transportation Joe Biden to enactment connected arsenic the Democratic nominee. 

Now that the election is simply a settled matter, determination are a fistful of 'will helium oregon won't he' questions hanging implicit President Biden's last days successful office.

One that's been asked repeatedly implicit the past months is: Will Biden pardon his ne'er-do-well lad Hunter implicit his convictions connected national weapon and taxation fraud charges?

Both Biden and his spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre person repeatedly denied Hunter volition beryllium pardoned by his father.  

When asked Thursday - conscionable implicit 24 hours aft the statesmanlike predetermination was called successful Trump's favor - whether Biden has immoderate volition of pardoning his son, Jean-Pierre responded, 'We've been asked that question aggregate times. Our reply stands, which is no.'

But fewer observers look to beryllium buying that answer. Bob Woodward is among the skeptics. 

The All the President's Men writer past period predicted Biden volition so pardon the recovering drug-addict archetypal son, who is facing situation clip erstwhile he's sentenced for abstracted national weapon and taxation fraud convictions adjacent month.

Woodward, citing reporting helium did for his latest publication 'War,' said ' the contented of Hunter Biden is conscionable ripping Joe Biden's bosom out, and it is thing helium talks astir with adjacent friends.'

'He worries about, wherever is this going to go? He has said helium would not pardon him. There are a mates of trials coming up. Quite frankly, I cognize capable astir Biden I don't judge that. I deliberation helium volition pardon his son,' the longtime Washington Post exertion and newsman told The Late Show's Stephen Colbert.

In June, Hunter Biden was convicted of 3 felony charges related to his 2018 acquisition of a revolver. Then, successful September, helium pleaded blameworthy to 9 charges successful a national taxation case.

President Biden is said to beryllium profoundly disquieted astir Hunter relapsing into cause addiction nether the unit of those outcomes.

And Article II, Section 2 of the Constitution gives the president broad powerfulness to pardon immoderate national crime, thing astir outgoing presidents bash successful their last days successful office, immoderate controversial, others routine.

Even Trump, who issued a slew of pardons during his 4 years successful bureau and connected his mode retired the doorway successful January 2021, weighed successful connected the Hunter Biden pardon issue, with a effect that amazed many.

Asked by vigor big Hugh Hewitt past period if helium would see pardoning Hunter Biden, Trump said, 'I wouldn’t instrumentality it disconnected the books. 

'See, dissimilar Joe Biden, contempt what they’ve done to me, wherever they’ve gone aft maine truthful viciously, contempt what - and Hunter’s a atrocious boy, there’s nary question astir it, he’s been a atrocious boy.

'But I hap to deliberation it's precise atrocious for our country,' Trump said of what helium considers politically motivated prosecutions and punishment which helium likens to his ain experience.

Jeffrey Crouch, a prof astatine American University who is an adept connected the pardon process, noted a president tin 'use the clemency powerfulness whenever helium would like, and arsenic often arsenic helium would like.'

The lone existent effect - if Biden opts to springiness his lad a pardon - would beryllium that it becomes a stain connected his legacy. 

Voters could besides punish the Democratic Party astatine the voting booth successful the adjacent election, though determination look to beryllium weightier issues that emerged for the Democrats to contend with successful the aftermath of Kamala Harris decisive nonaccomplishment to Trump.

'The president whitethorn besides incur consequences travel predetermination play erstwhile they, oregon astatine least, their governmental enactment whitethorn look punishment from the voters. And, the president ever needs to support their bequest successful mind,' Crouch said.

Other presidents person issued arguable pardons - usually successful the last days of their presidency.

In 1974, President Gerald Ford pardoned his predecessor Richard Nixon for immoderate crimes helium had 'committed oregon whitethorn person committed' successful the Watergate scandal. This was the archetypal pre-emptive pardon by a president. 

In 2001, President Bill Clinton pardoned 140 radical connected his past time successful bureau including billionaire Marc Rich, who had been a fugitive for decades for fraud related to making amerciable lipid deals and not paying much than $48 cardinal successful taxes.

It resulted successful a national probe into donations made to the Clintons by Rich's ex-wife. But the probe didn't observe capable grounds to indict Clinton.

Clinton besides pardoned his half-brother Roger Clinton, who had been convicted of cause charges.

In the past 12 hours of his presidency, Donald Trump pardoned and commuted the sentences of 144 people, including erstwhile advisors Stephen Bannon and Roger Stone. He besides pardoned Charles Kushner - the begetter of Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner - and the rapper Lil Wayne. 

Joe Biden has expressed regret and vexation with his son's ineligible cases. 

He besides said helium regretted picking Merrick Garland as his lawyer general, Woodward reported successful his publication 'War,' penning the president was aggravated astir the prosecution of his son. 

David Weiss, the peculiar counsel who brought some cases against Hunter, said helium prosecuted the president's lad to amusement that cipher 'is supra the law.' 

Hunter Biden is scheduled to beryllium sentenced successful the Delaware weapon case connected December 13, and connected December 16 successful the California taxation case.

That is simply a period aft the 2024 election.

Hunter expressed his fearfulness of the 'end of America' if Trump is elected president again.

'A 2nd Donald Trump presidency is perchance the extremity of America arsenic we’ve known it,' the president's lad said to Politico successful an interview this month.

He said that his top interest was 'losing our ideology to a fascist minority,' suggesting that helium feared the verdict of the electoral assemblage connected who should beryllium elected president.

Hunter Biden besides accused Trump of 'lies, fear-mongering and disinformation.'

'It’s easier to scare radical with lies than amended them with the truth. It’s faster. It sticks to your marrow,' helium said.

President Biden could pardon oregon commute his son's sentences anytime earlier helium leaves bureau connected January 20, 2025.

Friends of the household person questioned if the president volition support his committedness not to pardon fixed his worries astir Hunter's intelligence authorities and the information that, since he's not moving for a 2nd term, determination is fundamentally nary governmental information to him. 

Additionally, Donald Trump promised to prosecute his governmental enemies if helium wins the predetermination and Hunter would beryllium a apical target. A broad pardon from President Biden would support his lad from immoderate enactment by Trump. 

In the June weapon acquisition case, jurors recovered Hunter Biden blameworthy of lying to a federally licensed weapon dealer, making a mendacious assertion connected the exertion by saying helium was not a cause user, and illegally having the weapon for 11 days.

Hunter faces up to 25 years successful situation though arsenic a first-time offender helium would not get anyplace adjacent the maximum, and there's nary warrant the justice would nonstop him to jail.

In the September taxation case, Hunter could look up to 17 years successful situation for his crimes, which see taxation evasion, filing fraudulent taxation returns, and failing to wage taxes. The justice besides could enforce a hefty fine, possibly arsenic overmuch arsenic $1.3 million.

The judges successful some cases were appointed by President Trump. 

Hunter is simply a first-time offender. He has been sober for years and paid his taxes and fines, though that wealth was provided by a affluent friend.

President Biden is known to beryllium torn up astir the situation.

Hours aft Hunter's condemnation successful June successful the Delaware weapon case, President Biden flew to Wilmington to spend the nighttime with his household earlier leaving for the G7 acme successful Italy.

And helium besides got a fewer minutes with his lad connected the tarmac, hugging him successful afloat presumption of the cameras.