Elon Musk, the billionaire businessman and influential figure in the incoming administration, took to social media to taunt President Joe Biden after the latter issued a pardon for his son, Hunter Biden. The exchange reignited debates over the nature of justice in America, particularly in light of Biden’s earlier assertion that “no one is above the law.”
The controversy started when X users added a community note to Biden’s old post from May 31, which read, “no one is above the law.” The note provided additional context, stating, “Joe Biden granted a full and unconditional pardon to his son, Hunter, on December 1, 2024. Hunter was convicted of multiple felonies but will now go unpunished.” Musk quickly jumped on this opportunity to criticize the president by sharing the post with the added community note. Alongside the post, Musk wrote, “Community Notes slays,” emphasizing his delight in seeing Biden called out.
Biden had written the original post just one day after a New York jury found Donald Trump guilty on all 34 felony counts related to falsifying business records in connection with a hush money scheme involving an adult film star ahead of the 2016 presidential election. The timing of Biden’s post, intended to highlight the impartiality of justice, has now become the target of ridicule as Hunter Biden’s pardon seems to counter that principle.
The pardon for Hunter Biden marks a significant reversal of Biden’s previous public pledge that he would not use his presidential powers to pardon family members, particularly in the last months of his administration. Hunter Biden was convicted on charges stemming from a 2018 incident where he lied on a federal form about his drug use when purchasing a handgun. He also pleaded guilty to tax evasion and related charges in a separate case. The pardon has sparked criticism and debate over whether Biden’s actions contradict his previous claims of ensuring impartial justice.
In response to the uproar surrounding his son’s pardon, President Biden released a statement defending Hunter and emphasizing the politically motivated nature of the charges. “The charges in his cases came about only after several of my political opponents in Congress instigated them to attack me and oppose my election,” Biden said.
He also reiterated his stance that Hunter was unfairly targeted because of their familial relationship, stating, “No reasonable person who looks at the facts of Hunter’s cases can reach any other conclusion than Hunter was singled out only because he is my son — and that is wrong. There has been an effort to break Hunter — who has been five and a half years sober, even in the face of unrelenting attacks and selective prosecution. In trying to break Hunter, they’ve tried to break me — and there’s no reason to believe it will stop here. Enough is enough.”
The community note that was added to Biden’s old post appears to have gained traction as a means of holding public figures accountable for their statements. Musk’s social media platform has emphasized using crowd-sourced community notes as a way to add context or correct misinformation on posts. However, the effectiveness of these notes has been a subject of ongoing scrutiny. Many critics argue that the system has largely failed to curb misinformation, with most of the proposed fact-checks on political posts never being publicly shown.
Musk, who spent Thanksgiving with President-elect Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago, continues to play a crucial role in shaping the incoming administration. He is set to lead a newly created advisory group aimed at recommending significant changes, including mass layoffs and drastic cuts to federal agencies. His recent use of the community notes feature to take a jab at Biden seems to be a continuation of his influence over the political landscape, using his platform as a tool for political commentary and critique.
Biden’s decision to pardon his son, while not unprecedented, has fueled speculation and criticism from political opponents and the public alike. The question of whether the president is truly upholding his commitment to impartial justice or using his powers to shield his family remains a contentious issue, made all the more significant by Musk’s public intervention.