'Circumstances have changed': White House defends Biden's decision to pardon son

The White House on Friday defended President Joe Biden's decision to pardon his son.

"The fact is, when you think about how the president got to this decision, circumstances have changed," spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters.

"Republicans said they weren't going to let up... Recently announced Trump appointees for law enforcement have said on the campaign that they were out for retribution. And I think we should believe their words, right?" she said. "As you all know, there was a sentencing coming up, and the president said this in his statement: that Hunter and his family had been through enough. Enough is enough."

Hunter Biden was found guilty of federal gun charges stemming from his possession of a firearm while addicted to drugs in 2018. In September of that year, he pleaded guilty to federal tax charges.

Nearly one month before the end of his term, the elder Biden formally pardoned his son on Sunday, despite previous promises not to use his executive powers.

Biden's decision followed repeated assurances that he would let the US justice system play out and came one day after President-elect Donald Trump nominated Kash Patel to head the FBI.