The fallout from President Joe Biden’s decision to pardon his son, Hunter, has been swift and chaotic, exposing deep rifts and discomfort within the Democratic Party. Yet some of the party’s top figures, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), have conspicuously stayed silent or sidestepped the controversy altogether.
When approached by reporters on Tuesday, Schumer’s response was as empty as it was telling. “I’ve got nothing for you on that,” he repeated when pressed on the implications of Biden’s move, including whether it sets a precedent for President-elect Donald Trump to issue sweeping pardons for January 6 defendants. Schumer’s refusal to engage on such a monumental issue raises questions about his leadership and whether his silence signals quiet support, strategic avoidance, or sheer political paralysis.
Schumer on Biden’s pardon of his son:
I’ve got nothing for you on thatHe says this multiple times when asked multiple questions about the pardon by reporters:
Schumer on if the Hunter Biden pardon sets a playbook for Trump to pardon January 6th rioters:
I’ve got nothing for…— Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) December 3, 2024
This isn’t the first time Schumer has been accused of dragging his feet on major Democratic scandals. He hesitated before supporting Biden’s reelection campaign while others scrambled to shore up the president. Similarly, Schumer delayed weighing in on calls for disgraced former Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) to resign after being indicted on bribery charges. His pattern of dodging controversy is becoming a hallmark of his tenure as Democratic leader.
Schumer isn’t the only high-profile Democrat under scrutiny for their silence. Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA), poised to join the Senate in the next Congress, has also avoided commenting on the Hunter Biden pardon. This is particularly awkward for Schiff, given his outspoken criticism of presidential pardons during Donald Trump’s administration.
Schumer declines repeatedly to comment on the Biden pardon
“I’ve got nothing for you on that”
— Burgess Everett (@burgessev) December 3, 2024
In 2018, Schiff decried Trump’s pardon of Scooter Libby and even introduced legislation to limit presidential pardon powers. He made the rounds on cable news to promote his efforts, and a clip of his CNN appearance remains on his X account, where he lambasted the misuse of pardons. Today, however, Schiff’s account is eerily quiet about Biden’s sweeping clemency for his own son—a move far more personal and controversial than Trump’s pardon of Libby.
The silence from Democratic leaders like Schumer and Schiff stands in stark contrast to the discontent brewing among rank-and-file members and even some prominent voices within the party. Biden’s decision to pardon Hunter has been criticized not only for its ethical implications but for the political damage it inflicts on Democrats’ claims of moral superiority.
Chuck Schumer today repeatedly refused to answer questions from reporters about Joe Biden’s pardon of Hunter.
“I’ve got nothing for you on that,” he said repeatedly
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) December 3, 2024
Many Democrats are furious that Biden has handed Republicans a golden opportunity to paint him—and by extension, the party—as corrupt and hypocritical. Meanwhile, Biden’s repeated assurances that he would not pardon Hunter have made his defenders look foolish and disingenuous.
Biden’s pardon not only undermines his own credibility but sets a dangerous precedent for Trump’s impending presidency. If Biden can pardon his son for a decade’s worth of potential crimes, what’s to stop Trump from doing the same for his allies? Democrats like Schumer and Schiff, who have been vocal about “protecting democracy,” are now caught in a trap of their own making, unable to reconcile their past rhetoric with Biden’s actions.
If the President issues a pardon in a case in which he or his family are implicated, the American people need to know whether it is part of an attempt to obstruct justice. This bill would make that possible and serve as a powerful deterrent. pic.twitter.com/kvIeORqvC3
— Adam Schiff (@AdamSchiff) April 19, 2018
Schumer’s refusal to engage and Schiff’s selective memory suggest a Democratic leadership that would rather pretend this scandal doesn’t exist than face it head-on. But their silence speaks volumes. It signals a party struggling to reconcile its principles with political reality—and, perhaps, a tacit acknowledgment that Biden’s decision is indefensible.
