The White House has defended President Joe Biden's pardon of his son, Hunter, after repeatedly insisting he had no plans for such executive clemency. The press secretary said Biden had pardoned his son,

The White House said on Monday that President Joe Biden pardoned his son Hunter in part because of concern his political opponents would continue to persecute the younger Biden in the future, as a growing chorus of Democrats and Republicans criticized his decision.

President Biden and the White House have emphatically insisted the president wouldn’t pardon his son, Hunter Biden. But all of that changed Sunday, when Biden announced he would indeed grant leniency on Hunter,