Johnson says Biden pardon leaves trust in justice system 'almost irreparably damaged'

Speaker Mike Johnson slammed President Joe Biden’s “full and unconditional” pardon of Hunter Biden on Monday as an “abuse” of the justice system and called for “real reform” in a social media post.

“President Biden insisted many times he would never pardon his own son for his serious crimes,” Johnson said on X. "But last night he suddenly granted a ‘Full and Unconditional Pardon’ for any and all offenses that Hunter committed for more than a decade!"

He added, "trust in our justice system has been almost irreparably damaged by the Bidens."

While Johnson did not offer details about the reform he would pursue, he has been vocal about his support for Donald Trump’s promised shakeup in the Justice Department and FBI following the president-elect’s prosecutions.

Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) said on Fox News Monday that the president’s “word as a Biden is trash” after the pardon.

He also raised the question of “whether Joe Biden is going to pardon his brother as well, who was up to his neck in the Biden family influence peddling operation.” House Republicans have urged the Justice Department to prosecute James Biden, the president’s brother.

Johnson congratulated Trump loyalist Kash Patel on his nomination Sunday to be FBI director, saying he is “an America First patriot who will bring much-needed change and transparency to the FBI” in apost on X.

The speaker also praised Attorney General-designate Pam Bondi after Trump announced her as his pick: “She will work with President Trump to end the weaponization of the justice system and uphold the rule of law.”

Trump has promised to pardon many of the people convicted for their part in the attack on the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021 and could cite the Hunter Biden pardon when defending those future decisions. In a Truth Social post on Sunday night, Trump suggested he might do just that, asking “Does the Pardon given by Joe to Hunter include the J-6 Hostages, who have now been imprisoned for years?”

Greta Reich contributed to this report.