CHEEK OF HIM
Biden seen with strange marks across his face in first appearance since shamelessly pardoning his criminal son Hunter
The White House has previously responded to comments about the marks on Biden's cheeks
JOE Biden has been spotted with strange marks on his face in his first appearance since pardoning his son.
The outgoing president, 82, last night spared former crack addict Hunter Biden, 54, from prison - issuing him a "full and unconditional pardon."
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It marked a U-turn for Biden - who has long insisted he would not pardon his son or commute his sentence.
Hunter was due to be sentenced this month after being convicted of gun offenses in Delaware in June and pleading guilty in a California tax evasion case.
The pardon signed Sunday night covers any other crimes that Hunter may have committed between 2014 and this year.
In his first appearance since the drastic move, Biden arrived in Sal, Cape Verde, and greeted Prime Minister Ulisses Correia e Silva.
Read more on Hunter
And the president was pictured with marks on his cheeks - thought to be from the use of a medical mask to treat sleep apnoea at night.
He was seen with similar marks on his face in June last year, and the White House confirmed he was using a CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) machine to help him breathe.
About 30 million Americans have sleep apnoea - a disorder in which breathing is interrupted during sleep.
A CPAP machine pumps air into a mouth over the mouth and nose during sleep to keep the airways open.
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PARDONING HUNTER
In his letter announcing Hunter's pardon, Biden claimed his son was "unfairly prosecuted" as he announced his decision.
The outgoing leader had previously said he would "not pardon" Hunter after he was convicted of three firearm charges.
Awkward moment bungling Biden is spotted wandering behind a TREE as he misses G20 leaders’ classic group photo
He said at the time, “I abide by the jury decision. I will do that and I will not pardon him.”
Following Trump’s win in the US presidential election last month, the White House again ruled out a pardon.
Press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said on November 8, “We’ve been asked that question multiple times. Our answer stands, which is no.”
But just two months before leaving the White House, Biden used his powers to spare his youngest son from going to prison.
Timeline of Hunter’s downfall
HUNTER Biden has long hit headlines for all the wrong reasons.
Below is a timeline with the main dates from his downfall:
2014: He is discharged from Navy Reserve after testing positive for cocaine use
2015: Hunter has a relapse of alcohol addiction following brother Beau's death
2016: His addiction spirals into crack cocaine use
2017: Hunter starts dating his brother's widow after his divorce
October 2018: He buys a .38 caliber handgun from a shop in Wilmington, claiming he was not on drugs at the time
2019: Hunter leaves laptop with 'alarming' and 'embarrassing' content on at computer repair shop
2020: Hunter reveals he is under investigation by the Justice Department
September 2023: Hunter is charged over lying about drug use in connection with buying a handgun in 2018
December 2023: Federal grand jury charges Hunter with a scheme to evade taxes
June 2024: Hunter convicted of three firearm charges
September 2024: Hunter pleads guilty to federal tax evasion charges
December 2024: Joe Biden pardons Hunter - just days before he was due to be sentenced
In a statement released by the White House on Sunday, Biden said:
"Today, I signed a pardon for my son Hunter.
"From the day I took office, I said I would not interfere with the Justice Department decision-making, and I kept my word even as I have watched my son being selectively, and unfairly, prosecuted.
"For my entire career I have followed a simple principle: just tell the American people the truth. They’ll be fair-minded.
"Here’s the truth: I believe in the justice system, but as I have wrestled with this, I also believe raw politics has infected this process and it led to a miscarriage of justice – and once I made this decision this weekend, there was no sense in delaying it further.
"I hope Americans will understand why a father and a President would come to this decision."
Furious Donald Trump branded Biden's pardon of his son.
Referencing those jailed for the riot at the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, he wrote, “Does the pardon given by Joe to Hunter include the J-6 hostages, who have now been imprisoned for years?
“Such an abuse and miscarriage of justice."
And members of Biden's own party turned on him over his bombshell move.
Colorado Governor Jared Polis blasted Biden's decision - accusing him of putting "family ahead of the country."
"While as a father I certainly understand President Joe Biden's natural desire to help his son by pardoning him, I am disappointed that he put his family ahead of the country," the Democrat said.
"This is a bad precedent that could be abused by later Presidents and will sadly tarnish his reputation."
Hunter's pardon caps a long-running legal saga for the president's son, who publicly disclosed he was under federal investigation in December 2020, a month after his father's 2020 victory.
In June, as his son Hunter was facing trial in the gun case in Delaware, Biden ruled out a pardon or clemency for his son in an interview with ABC ABC News.
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The turbulent life of Hunter was thrown into the spotlight as a federal courtroom heard testimony about his drug addiction, which spiraled out of control after the death of his brother, Beau Biden, in 2015.
A 12-panel jury in Wilmington, , convicted , who chose not to testify in his defense, on all charges after deliberating for about three hours.
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