Latest news with #HunterBiden
Reuters
3 hours ago
- General
- Reuters
Trump's Justice Department examining pardons issued by Biden
WASHINGTON, June 2 (Reuters) - A senior official in Republican U.S. President Donald Trump's Justice Department told staff on Monday that he has been directed to investigate clemency granted by Democrat Joe Biden in the waning days of his presidency to members of his family and death row inmates. Ed Martin, the Justice Department's pardon attorney, wrote in an email seen by Reuters that the investigation involves whether Biden "was competent and whether others were taking advantage of him through use of AutoPen or other means." An autopen is a device used to automatically affix a signature to a document. Trump and his supporters have made a variety of unfounded claims that Biden's use of the device while president invalidated his actions or suggested that he was not fully aware of these actions. It is not known whether Biden used autopen on pardons. The email stated that Martin's investigation is focused on preemptive pardons Biden issued to several members of his family and clemency that spared 37 federal inmates from the death penalty, converting their sentences to life in prison. Just before he relinquished the presidency to Trump on January 20, Biden pardoned five members of his family, saying he wanted to protect them from future politically motivated investigations. The pardons went to Biden's siblings James Biden, Frank Biden and Valerie Biden Owens as well as their spouses, John Owens and Sara Biden. Biden on December 1 pardoned his son Hunter Biden, who had pleaded guilty to tax violations and was convicted on firearms-related charges. Martin's email did not specify which pardons of Biden family members were being investigated. It also did not make clear who directed Martin to launch the investigation. A Justice Department spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A Biden spokesperson did not immediately provide comment. The U.S. Constitution gives the president broad power to issue pardons to wipe away federal criminal convictions or commutations to modify sentences. Trump himself has made extensive use of executive clemency. For instance, he granted clemency on January 20 to all of the nearly 1,600 of his supporters who faced criminal charges in connection with the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, which was a failed attempt to prevent congressional certification of Biden's 2020 election victory over Trump. Martin previously served as the interim U.S. attorney in Washington before his nomination for that post foundered in the Senate. Martin told reporters last month that he viewed the presidential pardon power as "plenary," meaning it is absolute. "If you use the autopen for pardon power, I don't think that that's necessarily a problem," Martin said during a May 13 press conference, adding that he still felt the Biden pardons warranted scrutiny. The investigation appears designed to use the Justice Department to amplify questions about Biden's health and mental acuity, a conversation that has intensified in recent weeks following his cancer diagnosis and a new book revealing Democratic concerns last year about Biden's condition. Biden, who is 82, last year dropped his reelection bid amid questions about his mental acuity after a disastrous presidential debate performance. Biden was the oldest person to serve as U.S. president, and Trump is the second oldest. Biden's closest aides have dismissed those concerns, saying Biden was fully capable of making important decisions. No evidence has emerged to suggest that Biden did not intend to issue the pardons. In addition, a Justice Department memo from 2005 found it was legitimate for a subordinate to use an autopen for the president's signature.
Fox News
a day ago
- Business
- Fox News
Inside Jill Biden's political rise amid her husband's cognitive decline: Book
Former President Joe Biden's inner circle considers first lady Jill Biden one of the most powerful first ladies in history, CNN anchor Jake Tapper and Axios political correspondent Alex Thompson reveal in their new book, "Original Sin." Jill Biden, a PhD whom White House staffers called "Dr. B" for short, was a reluctant political spouse in the early days of her husband's political career. During his presidential campaigns and into his presidency, the first lady became his staunchest defender and a "political partner in addition to a spouse," Thompson and Tapper wrote. "Dr. B was a strong, protective force in the White House. She was also, without question, one of the chief supporters of the president's decision to run for reelection, and one of the chief deniers of his deterioration," the authors wrote. President Donald Trump's White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Thursday that Jill Biden should have to answer for her complicity in the "cover-up" of Biden's cognitive decline. Leavitt pointed to how Jill Biden jumped in to defend her husband during their joint interview on "The View" this month as evidence the former first lady is still covering for her husband. As Biden's sister, Valerie "Val" Biden Owens, and his adult children, Hunter Biden and Ashley Biden, stayed away from Biden's 2020 presidential campaign, Jill Biden took on a more prominent role, the book revealed. "She weighed in on potential hires and reviewed many of the campaign ads before they were aired. She campaigned hard and peppered aides with questions about how many reporters would be at her events," Tapper and Thompson said. Jill Biden sat for job interviews for White House aide candidates, and she "kept score" of which staffers were most loyal, with the help of her most trusted aide, Anthony Bernal, the book revealed. The White House began referring to Jill Biden's "spousal programming" events on foreign trips, and her team would request talking points, which Tapper and Thompson said some national security officials found strange. "[Bernal] had already begun planning the first lady's 2025 international travel schedule," Tapper and Thompson said. The first lady made an off-hand comment to French President Emmanuel Macron at a state dinner in 2022 about the difficult nature of campaigns and how she needed to stay in shape. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's daughter, Alexandra, overheard and found it odd, according to "Original Sin." "Alexandra then turned to the president and asked if they should toast to another campaign. He looked back at her like he didn't understand. Alexandra thought her mom looked shocked. Everyone quickly gathered themselves. With Macron, they toasted to four more years," the authors said. Dr. B was particularly sensitive when asked about Biden's age and ability, according to the authors. After Biden's consequential debate performance in the summer of 2024, The Associated Press reported that Jill and Hunter Biden were urging the president to continue his re-election campaign. Sources told AP the family "questioned how he was prepared for the debate by staff and wondered if they could have done something better." "Hunter privately talked about it as being the family against the world. People sensed a more manic quality in him post-debate. He was determined to save his dad," according to Tapper and Thompson. Soon after the debate, Jill Biden joined Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., on the campaign trail. After defending the president's re-election campaign to reporters, Stabenow brought up some of her colleagues' concerns about Biden continuing in the race. "The First Lady didn't answer the senator's implied question, but she later fumed about it to White House staffers," the book alleged. A week later, Gov. Josh Shapiro, from the pivotal battleground state of Pennsylvania, told the president, "I have some concerns." However, before Biden could fully respond, the first lady was ushering him away. "Jill fumed with resentment about all the Democrats who she considered friends now pushing Biden out. She knew she had blundered in the aftermath of the debate with her belittling praise. She was only trying to help her husband in his moment of need. In the end, she told Biden: 'This is your decision. This is for you to decide,'" according to the book. Fox News Digital has written extensively dating back to the 2020 presidential campaign about Biden's cognitive decline and his inner circle's alleged role in covering it up. A Biden spokesperson did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Former Obama Aide Slams Jake Tapper for Resurrecting Hunter Biden Scandal: ‘All Of Us Knew'
It's almost June 2025 and Hunter Biden's scandal is back in the news, thanks in large part to CNN's Jake Tapper and his book 'Original Sin' — and former Obama aide Johanna Maska isn't having it. At least that's what Maska told fellow panelists in Friday's episode of 'Piers Morgan Uncensored.' The Biden story isn't new to anyone, she said, and 'Hunter was corrupt! All of us knew! Hunter was corrupt.' Instead of regurgitating a story that dominated news cycles throughout 2023 and 2024, she continued, Tapper should have focused on the Trump administration. 'I also want us talking about issues that are not some made-up Jake Tapper scandal,' Maska told Chuck Todd. 'I mean, Chuck, we traveled around the world with Jake Tapper and you, and I know that you guys care a lot about the story, but you also care about access. And Jake Tapper has done this multiple times where he has done whatever he can to get access. So now he's kissing up to the right-wing media because he wants access in the Trump White House.' While agreed that focusing on corruption in politics is important, Maska insisted Tapper just missed the mark. 'We are missing all of the stories that actually affect people,' she explained. 'Corruption, absolutely cover it, but also the 1,000 plus page bill that the House Republicans just passed, that will actually affect people in Galesburg, Illinois. And that's what's going to matter this next election. My point is, Chuck, we had an election and we lost.' In an interview with Bill Maher Friday night Tapper admitted he believes Dr. Jill Biden, President Biden, and Hunter Biden share the blame for the administration's downfall and the president's alleged mental decline. 'He had moments where he was non-functioning but he understood what was going on. We saw him earlier today: He can speak and talk. If he was here right now, he could talk for 10 to 15 minutes, he'd be fine,' he said. Watch the episode of 'Piers Morgan Uncensored' in the video above. The post Former Obama Aide Slams Jake Tapper for Resurrecting Hunter Biden Scandal: 'All Of Us Knew' | Video appeared first on TheWrap.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Jake Tapper Puts Blame for Biden's Downfall Squarely Back on Biden
Jake Tapper, CNN anchor and co-author of the new book Original Sin, detailing the alleged 'cover-up' of the true depths of Joe Biden's cognitive decline, has told Bill Maher that the former president should share some of the blame for his own downfall. 'Who do we blame?' Maher asked on Friday's episode of Real Time With Bill Maher. Maher joked that the president's wife, Dr. Jill Biden, is 'getting the Yoko treatment,' taking the blame when it is perhaps undeserved. 'Yes, I think it was Jill Biden,' Tapper agreed. 'I also think it's Hunter Biden. I also think President Biden has some agency here, too. We're not saying it was Weekend at Bernie's,' Tapper explained. The reference to the 1989 slapstick comedy, in which a pair of insurance brokers puppeteer the corpse of their boss in order to enjoy the perks of his Hamptons beach house, drew laughs from the audience. Tapper doubled down, clarifying that it wasn't like the film. 'He had moments where he was non-functioning but he understood what was going on. We saw him earlier today: He can speak and talk. If he was here right now, he could talk for 10 to 15 minutes, he'd be fine.' Tapper did go on to explain that it was a concerted effort to conceal the president's health issues from the public and the media, as there were fears that unless he ran against Trump in the 2024 election, the Democrats would lose. 'There was a period in 2023-2024 where Democratic lawmakers barely saw the president,' Tapper noted, saying that even senior party officials and White House administration staff had been kept in the dark. Ultimately, as Biden's health issues became too painful to ignore, the president was swapped out for his vice president, Kamala Harris, in the 2024 election—a move that did not reverse Democrats' fortunes. Democratic Rep. Seth Moulton (D-MA), joining Tapper on the show, agreed with his assessment that an 'omerta' was in place amongst the 'inner circle' not to speak openly about the realities of the president's health. 'Donald Trump, Democrats perceived him to be an existential threat to the world and only Joe Biden had ever beaten Trump,' Tapper said. 'Therefore, he had to be the nominee again and any word that deviated from that was helping Trump,' Tapper explained, before concluding: 'That's how the Biden people sold it to themselves.'
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Jesse Watters Spins Musk's Drug Use Report Into Attack on Hunter Biden
Fox News' Jesse Watters used an explosive report about all the drugs that close Trump ally Elon Musk has been taking to instead discuss Hunter Biden. On The Five, Watters responded to the former Trump administration fixture's allegedly bladder-harming ketamine habit—and his ecstasy, Adderall, and mushroom usage—by alluding to the son of Trump's predecessor, ever the target of right-wing complaints. 'Now they are accusing [Musk] of being a drug addict,' Watters began. 'There was drug addicts in the last White House, and there was cocaine all over the place! They didn't say anything about that when an actual drug addict was running the country behind the scenes.' Hunter Biden was a close adviser to his father during his presidency, but unlike Musk, he never attended any Cabinet meetings, nor did he slash the government workforce at the president's direction. Watters thumbed his nose at Friday's report in The New York Times because he himself never saw 'any evidence of drugs.' Watters' fixation on Biden centers around how he has spoken of a past addiction to crack cocaine. Also relevant is a July 2023 incident in which the U.S. Secret Service found a small bag of cocaine in a cubby of a highly trafficked West Wing entryway. Biden's whole family was on vacation at the time of the discovery, and the investigation closed less than two weeks later with authorities unable to identify any suspects, let alone file charges. Yet some Republicans like Donald Trump couldn't help but suggest Biden as the culprit. On Friday, The Five co-host Greg Gutfeld also showed no interest in the report on Musk's alleged drug usage. 'Why should we believe that when it comes out now?' he said. 'What if he came out in support of Biden? We never would have heard about the ketamine, but he's pro-Trump and now you're talking about the ketamine!' Musk had already admitted to using the drug. In March 2024, for instance, he told former CNN host Don Lemon, 'If you've used too much ketamine, you can't really get work done, and I have a lot of work.' But Friday's report claimed Musk's usage was more intense than previously known. Among its other findings was how Musk received advance warnings of drug tests at SpaceX which, as a government contractor, must maintain a drug-free workplace. Also, the White House declined to say whether Musk had been drug tested at all.
