Actor Sean Penn defended President Biden for granting a sweeping pardon to his son this week, calling the now cleared charges against Hunter “one of the (most) terrible assassins of all time.”
The pardon, granted in the final weeks of Biden’s presidency, spares the president’s son from his upcoming conviction in a pair of unrelated federal lawsuits on tax evasion and gun-related charges. The pardon covers not only these cases, but also all possible crimes that Hunter Biden “committed or may have committed” between January 1, 2014 and December 1, 2024.
The president has faced with wrath from some members of the Democratic Party for granting the pardon on Sunday after he repeatedly vowed not to do so.
However, others have done so strongly defended Biden’s decision. Penn fell into the latter camp, telling Variety he was “proud” of the president.
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Sean Penn told Variety he was “proud” of President Biden for pardoning his son Hunter. (Omar Marques/Getty Images)
“Any father who didn’t do that would have been negligent,” Penn said a new interview with Variety. “I don’t know if I want to have a beer with someone who wouldn’t have forgiven Hunter Biden, being their son.”
Penn, who calls Hunter a “good” friend and “one of the best people I know,” suggested the case against the younger Biden was politically motivated, calling it “existentially insane” and a “hit job.”
“Partly because I have a good relationship with him, I looked into the matter,” he said. “And while there are technicalities within one of the cases related to illegality, there is virtually no precedent for the aggression he was accused of.”
Penn said he believed President Biden’s decision was heavily influenced by the looming threat of… President-elect Donald Trump government, which he called a “dangerous clown show.”
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Joe Biden, Hunter Biden and Donald Trump are pictured. (Reuters/Getty/AP Images)
He did not believe Biden would have pardoned his son if he had won the 2024 election.
“I don’t think it was a lie; I think it was a change of mind and circumstances,” he explained.
The actor said he was happy that the first son would now have “the time and space” to potentially help others suffering from substance abuse.
“This is a man who has suffered the most serious addiction, and he has so much to offer to people who are suffering or families who are suffering,” Penn said of Hunter Biden. “And I’m just glad that the opportunity is there now that he has the time and space to be able to provide that support to people, which I know is what he wants to do.”
In a statement after his pardon, Hunter Biden said he would not take clemency for granted and planned to dedicate his life to helping others struggling with addiction.
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Hunter Biden vowed to make amends and not take his clemency for granted after President Biden pardoned him this week. (Kent Nishimura/Getty Images)
“I have admitted and taken responsibility for my mistakes during the darkest days of my addiction – mistakes that were exploited to publicly humiliate and shame me and my family for political sports,” he said in a statement to Fox News . “Despite all this, I have maintained my sobriety for over five years thanks to my deep faith and the unwavering love and support of my family and friends.”
“In the throes of my addiction, I have squandered many opportunities and benefits,” he continued. “During recovery, we can have the opportunity to make amends where possible and rebuild our lives if we never take for granted the grace that has been extended to us. I will never take for granted the grace given to me today and will dedicate life to it. I have begun again to help those who are still sick and suffering.”
Landon Mion of Fox News contributed to this report.
