GOP candidates comment on Hunter Biden’s plea deal.

Republican Candidates React to Hunter Biden’s Plea Bargain

On June 20, news broke of Hunter Biden’s plea bargain with federal prosecutors, and the response from the Republican presidential primary field was nothing short of explosive. The Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that Hunter Biden would plead guilty to two misdemeanor charges of willfully failing to pay income taxes, while potentially avoiding conviction on a third felony firearm offense through a pretrial diversion agreement.

Former President Donald Trump took to Truth Social to express his outrage, stating, “Wow! The corrupt Biden DOJ just cleared up hundreds of years of criminal liability by giving Hunter Biden a mere ‘traffic ticket.’ Our system is BROKEN!”

Other Republican candidates joined in the criticism. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis called the plea bargain a “sweetheart deal” and questioned why Hunter Biden wasn’t facing charges for the corruption allegations. South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott criticized the Justice Department for treating political opponents with kid gloves, while political talk radio host Larry Elder called it another example of a two-tiered, partisan justice system.

The fairness of the American justice system was also called into question by former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, who stated that the deal raised further doubts about Hunter Biden’s crimes and the double standard of justice in the federal government. Entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy labeled the deal a “joke” meant to distract from ongoing investigations into bribery allegations against President Joe Biden.

Miami Mayor Francis Suarez demanded answers, stating, “The American people deserve to know exactly who was paying Hunter et al.; why they were paying him and his family, and exactly what was used to induce these payments. We need answers!”

Different Takes

While most Republican candidates expressed disgust with the outcome of the investigation, there were a few who had a different reaction. Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson took a measured approach, acknowledging Hunter Biden’s admission of guilt as an important step but emphasizing that there is still more work to be done.

The White House’s response was brief, with spokesperson Ian Sams stating, “The President and First Lady love their son and support him as he continues to rebuild his life. We will have no further comment.”