Hunter Biden, son of President Joe Biden, asserted on Sunday that his father's selection of Merrick Garland as the U.S. Attorney General represented the "greatest mistake" of his administration. These remarks were made during his appearance on the "I've Had It" podcast.
During the program, co-host Jennifer Welch voiced her disapproval of Attorney General Garland and the Department of Justice (DOJ) under his leadership, specifically citing the decision not to charge former President Donald Trump and the ongoing investigation into Hunter Biden himself. Welch then sought Hunter Biden's perspective on what she characterized as a "capitulation by Democrats" to Republicans for initially advocating for Garland's appointment.
"One of the things that pisses me off is the Merrick Garland DOJ and the not prosecuting of Trump. And that they prosecuted you," Welch stated as she introduced her question.
Hunter Biden's Stance on Garland's Appointment
Responding to Welch's prompt, Hunter Biden offered his assessment, endeavoring to distance himself from personal bias.
"My take is this, and removing myself from it as much as I can, my personal feelings, is the single greatest mistake of my father's administration was the leadership of Merrick Garland," Hunter Biden declared.
He further elaborated that ultimate responsibility for Garland's selection rests with his father, stating, "the buck has to stop with my dad. He was the president and he chose him." However, Hunter Biden also noted that once Garland was appointed, his father adhered to a higher standard, respecting the Constitution and the tradition, particularly since the Nixon era, that a president should not intervene in Justice Department decision-making. He expressed certainty that a "division between church and state" existed in that regard.
Critique of January 6 Prosecution
Hunter Biden extended his criticism to Garland, blaming him for what he perceived as a failure to prosecute Donald Trump for any involvement in the January 6 Capitol riot. He characterized the events of that day as a "planned conspiracy" orchestrated through the Trump administration with the aim of undermining the 2020 election results.
"[I]f Merrick Garland had started a completely 100% legitimate investigation rather than thinking like let's not fan the flames… did you not watch what I watched? Did you not see the people storming the Capitol of the United States of America, beating cops and running congressmen and senators literally out of the building? You didn't see that? You didn't see a president and know that it was a concerted and planned effort on their part beginning all the way back from the day before the election when they knew they were going," Hunter Biden articulated.
Garland's Perceived Moderation and Nomination
Both Jennifer Welch and Hunter Biden characterized Garland as a "moderate." They suggested that President Biden might have chosen him to appeal to Republicans or as a gesture of goodwill, following former President Barack Obama's earlier unsuccessful attempt to appoint Garland to the Supreme Court.
"Obama picks this milquetoast candidate. Your dad is a decent man, felt bad about what happened to Merrick Garland. And he played integrity politics. Like, well, 'I'm going to make him whole and make him attorney general.' And then Merrick Garland gets there, and he's like, 'Well, we can't upset these crusty White Republicans,'" Welch remarked.
Hunter Biden concurred with this sentiment, adding, "Massive mistake."
Background of Investigation
Hunter Biden has been subject to a federal investigation since 2018, which began during the first term of former President Donald Trump's administration.