President Joe Biden is the authoritarian threat the left claims Trump will be. Just look at his pardon of Hunter Biden.

        Over Thanksgiving weekend, Biden gave his son, who was facing sentencing for gun and tax charges, a "get out of jail free" card. Joe Biden didn't just pardon Hunter Biden for those crimes. It was a blanket immunity for any crime Hunter committed from Jan. 1, 2014, through Dec. 1, 2024. Hunter Biden joined the board of Ukrainian gas company Burisma in 2014. Hmmmm.

        Biden had repeatedly vowed that he wouldn't do this.

        "I said I'd abide by the jury decision. I will do that. And I will not pardon him," President Biden said in June after a jury convicted Hunter on federal gun charges.

        There was one humorous part of this scandal. It was amusing to watch Democrats and the propaganda press act shocked over something conservatives have long known was coming. Throughout his political career, Biden's family members leveraged his position to enrich themselves. There's strong evidence Biden did so as well. Of course, he was going to pardon Hunter.

        This pardon is especially noteworthy because Democrats have long claimed that Trump poses a unique threat to the country.

        Vice President Kamala Harris dubbed him a "petty tyrant" and a "wannabe dictator." Biden claimed repeatedly that he "threatens the very foundations of our republic." In October, The Atlantic deemed Trump "the tyrant George Washington feared."

        Consider what the left could be worried about.

        Perhaps it's that Trump would use his office to pardon his derelict children and enrich himself. Oh wait. Biden did that. Trump's net worth dropped by more than $1 billion during his time in office.

        Perhaps it's that Trump would weaponize the Department of Justice and prosecute his political opponents on trumped up charges. Oh wait. Biden did that. The public elected Trump despite the myriad bogus court battles and convictions he had to endure.

        Perhaps it's that Trump would impose a mandate that would require 100 million people to be vaccinated or lose their jobs. Oh wait. Biden did that. Trump has said he wants to bring back service members fired over vaccine requirements and give them back-pay.

        Perhaps it's that Trump would institute an artificial limit on gas-powered car production. Oh wait. Biden did that. Trump wants to rescind those regulations.

        Perhaps it's that Trump would pressure social media companies to censor information that government bureaucrats don't approve of. Oh wait. Biden did that. Trump's pick to run the FCC, Brendan Carr, said he wants to "smash this censorship cartel."

        Perhaps it's that Trump would unconstitutionally forgive students loans. Oh wait. Biden did that. Trump said that was "unfair" and wants to rollback Biden's handouts. Trump has even said he wants to eliminate the Department of Education, which oversees student loans.

        Perhaps it's that Trump would give men access to women's locker rooms and endanger women's sports. Oh wait. Biden did that. Trump called it "so ridiculous."

        Perhaps it's that Trump would dole out hundreds of billions of dollars to politically favored industries under the guise of reducing inflation. Oh wait. Biden did that. Trump has tapped Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy to head the Department of Government Efficiency. Its goal is "to dismantle government bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure federal agencies," Trump said in a statement.

        This is what America's Chicken Little elites missed when they scaremongered about Trump being an authoritarian threat to the country. Tyrants seek to consolidate power and limit people's freedom while enriching their family and friends.

        It's Biden, not Trump, who has consistently done that.

        Victor Joecks is a columnist for the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Email him at [email protected] or follow @victorjoecks on X. To find out more about Victor Joecks and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.