CNN Forces Dem Lawmaker to Watch Old Clip of Himself Denying Biden Would Pardon Hunter: 'No Chance He Will Do That'

In a heated moment on CNN, Rep. Dan Goldman (D-NY) was confronted with a 2023 clip of himself confidently stating that President Joe Biden would never pardon his son, Hunter Biden.

The segment aired just days after President Biden issued a sweeping pardon for Hunter, covering federal charges and any potential crimes spanning the past decade.

In the July 2023 interview, Goldman asserted, "I don't think there's any chance that President Biden is going to do that."

Goldman emphasized the independence of the Justice Department and noted that a Trump-appointed U.S. attorney had been allowed to continue investigating Hunter Biden as proof of impartiality.

When asked how it felt to watch his past comments in light of recent events, Goldman struggled to reconcile his previous stance with the president's decision, claiming the pardon was a response to political interference.

"If that plea agreement had gone through, there would have been no pardon," he insisted, though the anchor quickly reminded him that the plea deal had already collapsed when he made the original statement.

President Biden's pardon for Hunter, announced Sunday night, cited "raw politics" as a factor infecting the legal proceedings.

"No reasonable person can look at the facts and not see that my son was targeted because of me," Biden said, invoking his son's struggles with addiction.

The controversial move has ignited fierce backlash from Republicans, who accuse Biden of abusing presidential power. GOP lawmakers have argued that the pardon undermines justice and shields Hunter from ongoing investigations into alleged bribery and foreign business dealings.

Democrats have defended the decision, with Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas) pointing out Republican hypocrisy. "Trump pardoned allies like Roger Stone and Paul Manafort," Crockett said. "For anyone clutching their pearls over this, take a look at Trump's track record."