At a moment in American history when honesty has taken a merciless beating, President Joe Biden made a liar of himself.

In the wake of an election that left many of us wondering if the rule of law means a thing, Biden put pen to paper Sunday and pardoned his son Hunter Biden. He did the thing he promised repeatedly he wouldn’t do. And in doing so, he made a mockery of our justice system and soundly sullied his political legacy.

It’s never wise to expect better from a politician. I know that. But in Biden’s case, I made an exception.

He’s a lifelong public servant, elected to the U.S. Senate in 1972, a year after I was born. He beat Donald Trump in the 2020 presidential election, sparing us a second term at least for another four years. He has always struck me as an honorable person.

Biden’s presidency has been wildly productive, despite myriad naysayers, and I’ve routinely risen to his defense as Trump and Republicans have done everything possible to paint him as either a doddering fool or a global criminal mastermind.

But I won’t defend Biden this time. Not even close. This decision is the........

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