Stephen A. Smith pulled no punches on his show, The Stephen A. Smith Show, as he harshly criticized President Joe Biden’s decision to pardon his son, Hunter Biden, and the explanation that accompanied it. The outspoken commentator slammed Biden for what he called “hypocrisy” in how the president handled the situation, arguing that his defense of the clemency only fueled public distrust.
“When you look at Donald Trump and how the Democrats went after him, you do understand the Democrats are no longer in a position to say anything, right?” Smith began. “You can talk till the cows come home… Nobody wants to hear what you have to say right now.”
Smith zeroed in on Biden’s earlier promise not to intervene in Hunter Biden’s legal troubles, calling it an empty declaration that the public never believed.
“Everybody and their grandmama knew you were lying,” Smith said. “Now you’ve confirmed what people believed you were going to do all along.”
President Biden, who had previously vowed not to interfere with Hunter’s legal troubles, pardoned his son on Sunday in connection with federal gun and tax charges. The president defended his decision by alleging that his son was unfairly targeted due to his familial ties, calling the prosecution a political attack.
Smith suggested that Biden could have defused much of the backlash with a straightforward acknowledgment of his personal reasons for the pardon.
“All you had to do was say, ‘That’s my son. I can’t let him go to jail,’” Smith said. “Everybody would understand that… When I walk away from the White House ending my political career, I’m taking my son home with me. That wasn’t good enough for you.”
Instead, Smith argued, Biden’s attempt to frame Hunter as a victim of political targeting came across as disingenuous, further alienating voters.
“You had to try to come across like he was victimized because of you, like you’re so innocent, like you’re such a paragon of virtue,” Smith said. “Now you’ve brought more skepticism in the direction of the Democratic Party.”
Smith also compared Biden’s actions to the Democratic Party’s aggressive pursuit of former President Donald Trump, accusing both sides of hypocrisy.
“Y’all went after Donald Trump for everything but tying his shoelaces the right way,” Smith said. “I’m in no way trying to act like [Trump] is some innocent bystander, but when the word hypocrisy comes up, there’s no escaping it.”
