// BBC WORLD NEWS — MONDO
Hunter Biden tells BBC his pardon was 'not good' for America or his father's legacy
Watch: Hunter Biden says pardon was 'not good' for his father's legacy or American people
Hunter Biden has told the BBC he is "the most privileged person there is" after receiving a presidential pardon from his father, former US President Joe Biden, acknowledging it was not a good choice for America or his father's legacy.
In a wide-ranging interview with the BBC's Newsnight, Hunter Biden defended the controversial pardon, revealed his father's "painful" cancer has spread, ruled out seeking elected office and spoke about helping others recover from addiction.
Asked about the 2024 pardon, he said he understood the criticism but noted: "What would you have thought of my dad if he did not do that for me."
"It's something that is easily criticised and for good reason," he added.
"It's not fair… All I know is that I'm grateful that he did it for me," he said, acknowledging the pardon was "not good" for the American people, the Constitution - or his father's legacy.
He argued to the BBC that his father ultimately acted out of concern that he would become a target under Donald Trump's incoming administration.
"I was the only one in the world that could have gotten what I got from the only person in the world who could give it, my father."
Hunter Biden also insisted he and his father had never discussed the possibility of a pardon before it was granted.
"There is no way that you can have those kinds of discussions that would not become public," he said.