A liberal columnist's attempt to draw parallels between presidential sons caught in controversy backfired spectacularly.
According to Fox News, Esquire magazine was forced to delete a column that incorrectly claimed former President George H.W. Bush pardoned his son Neil Bush, using this false information to defend President Biden's recent pardon of Hunter Biden.
The column, written by Charles P. Pierce on Tuesday, attempted to minimize criticism of Hunter Biden's pardon by comparing it to a non-existent pardon of Neil Bush.
Pierce specifically referenced Neil Bush's involvement in the Silverado Savings and Loan scandal, erroneously stating that his father had used presidential powers to pardon him. While Neil Bush faced controversy during his father's presidency, he was never criminally convicted nor received a presidential pardon.
The controversy stems from Neil Bush's role as a board member of Silverado Savings and Loan, which collapsed and cost American taxpayers approximately $1 billion. While this created significant public relations challenges for the Bush administration, Neil Bush's involvement resulted only in a civil settlement with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), requiring him to pay $50,000.
Pierce's column included provocative language dismissing concerns about Hunter Biden's pardon. In the sub-headline, he wrote:
Nobody defines Poppy Bush's presidency by his son's struggles or the pardons he issued on his way out of the White House. The moral: Shut the f--- up about Hunter Biden, please.
The columnist further doubled down on the erroneous comparison, stating:
[The] lucky American businessman['s]… father exercised his unlimited constitutional power of clemency to pardon the Lucky American Businessman for all that S&L business way back when. The president's name was George H.W. Bush. The Lucky American Businessman was his son, Neil.
Esquire's response to the error evolved in multiple stages. Initially, the magazine attempted to address the mistake with an editor's note acknowledging the incorrect information about George H.W. Bush's supposed pardon of Neil Bush. However, as the severity of the error became apparent, the publication took more decisive action by completely removing the column from their website.
The magazine's handling of the situation demonstrated the serious nature of the error. Visitors to the original column's URL now encounter a page stating "This Column is No Longer Available," accompanied by an editor's note explaining the removal due to the error. This decisive action highlights the significance of fact-checking and editorial responsibility in political journalism.
The controversy surrounding the column coincides with widespread criticism of President Biden's decision to pardon his son Hunter. The presidential pardon, issued on Sunday night, covers a broad range of potential crimes "committed or may have committed" between January 1, 2014, and December 1, 2024, marking a significant departure from Biden's previous statements indicating he would not intervene in his son's legal matters.
The removal of Esquire's column has highlighted the importance of accurate historical comparisons in political discourse. President Biden's pardon of Hunter Biden has drawn criticism from both Democrats and Republicans, particularly given his previous assertions that he would maintain distance from his son's legal troubles.
The fundamental difference between the Bush and Biden situations lies in the nature of their involvement. While Neil Bush faced civil penalties and never received a pardon, Hunter Biden has received a sweeping presidential pardon covering a decade of potential criminal activity. This distinction underscores the unique nature of the current situation and the challenges in drawing historical parallels.
Current events continue to demonstrate the complex relationship between presidential power and family ties, with the Hunter Biden pardon representing an unprecedented use of executive clemency for a president's immediate family member.
