White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre faced immediate backlash online after nearly doubling the number of Americans who purportedly approve of President Biden’s sweeping pardon for his son.
President Biden issued a sweeping pardon for Hunter Biden on Sunday after he had repeatedly said he would not do so. The first son had been convicted in two separate federal cases earlier this year. He pled guilty to federal tax charges in September, and was convicted of three felony gun charges in June after lying on a mandatory gun purchase form by saying he was not illegally using or addicted to drugs. For over a year, the president and Jean-Pierre repeatedly insisted Hunter would not get a pardon.
The backlash against Karine Jean-Pierre stems from her incorrect claim that 64% of Americans supported President Biden's pardon of his son, Hunter Biden. In reality, the poll she referenced showed that 64% of Democrats supported the pardon, while only 34% of Americans overall approved of it. This discrepancy led to significant criticism online and from various media outlets.
In her defense of the pardon, Jean-Pierre appealed to the American people's understanding of the "difficult" decision. While doing so, she cited a poll, the results of which were the opposite of what she claimed.
"And it said 64% of the American people agree with the pardon — 64% of the American people. So, we get a sense of where the American people are on this. Obviously, it's one poll, but it gives you a little bit of insight. Sixty-four percent is nothing to sneeze at," she emphasized.
But according to the YouGov poll, it was 64% of Democrats who supported the pardon. Of the American people, only 34% "strongly" or "somewhat" approved of the pardon, while 50% of Americans either "strongly" or "somewhat" disapproved.
Social media users were quick to point out the error.
She's wrong. The YouGov poll shows 64% of Democrats, not 64% of Americans, supported the pardon. 34% of Americans overall supported it, with 50% disapproving. https://t.co/VH92dNPNh0 pic.twitter.com/3aHitv5PRd
— Elias Atienza (@AtienzaElias) December 6, 2024
RedState front-page contributor Bonchie said, "This is a psychotic level of lying. The kind of thing someone used to get shamed from polite society over. Of course, she'll be on MSNBC by next year."
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