From the opinion pages of the Wall Street Journal, this is Potomac Watch.

President Biden pardons his son, Hunter Biden, after a family retreat over the Thanksgiving

holiday. What is the political fallout, especially since the president had insisted he would never do this?

And what message does it send to Americans about equal justice under the law?

Welcome, I'm Paul as you go here on Potomac Watch, the daily podcast of the Wall Street Journal opinion pages.

I'm here with Kyle Peterson and Kim Strassel.

Let's talk about the Biden pardoned.

It came Sunday evening late and was startling not really in the sense that we didn't expect

here at the journal, the president to pardon his son. We certainly did. We wrote that. But he had

insisted he would never do it. So let's listen to the president first, talk about that,

and also then White House spokeswoman Carine Jean-Pierre responding to multiple questions on the

point from the press. As we sit here in Normandy, your son Hunter is on trial, and I know

that you cannot speak about an ongoing federal prosecution.

But let me ask you, will you accept the jury's outcome, their verdict no matter what it is?

Yes. And have you ruled out a pardon for your son? Yes. You have. I'm extremely proud of my son

Hunter. He has overcome an addiction.

He is one of the greatest, most decent men I know.

And I am satisfied that I'm not going to do anything.

I said I'm bide by the jury decision.

I will do that and I will not pardon him.

Second one, would the president pardon or commute his son if he's convicted?

So I've answered this question before.

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