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‘Nonsensical’ illegal immigrant tuition policy scrapped in Kentucky, Bondi lawsuit deal

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‘Nonsensical’ illegal immigrant tuition policy scrapped in Kentucky, Bondi lawsuit deal

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A lawsuit brought by Attorney General Pam Bondi against Kentucky’s public education apparatus over in-state tuition for illegal immigrants resulted in an agreement to end the practice, Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman told Fox News Digital in a Thursday interview.

Coleman said the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education (KCPE) agreed to change state policy two months after the Justice Department first took the commonwealth to court over a provision in state law 13 KAR 2:045. 

The suit alleged Kentucky’s policy violated 18 USC 1623, which states that “notwithstanding any other provision of law, an alien who is not lawfully present in the United States shall not be eligible on the basis of residence within a state for any postsecondary education benefit unless a citizen or national of the United States is eligible for such a benefit … without regard to whether the citizen or national is such a resident.”

The DOJ originally had named Kentucky Gov. Andrew Beshear as the defendant, but Beshear’s office previously told Fox New Digital that the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education is independent of the governor’s office.

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KENTUCKY WANTED THIS FIGHT: FORMER AG BACKS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT TUITION LAWSUIT AS VOTER-APPROVED

A sign on US-460 leaving Virginia greets drivers near Mouthcard, Ky., in 2017. (Charlie Creitz)

Coleman noted that governors do however have a role in appointing members to the council.

“Under current federal law, any illegal immigrant is barred from eligibility for postsecondary education benefits, like in-state tuition, unless the same benefits are offered to every U.S. citizen,” Coleman said.

Bondi noted in a statement obtained by Coleman’s office that “no state can be allowed to treat Americans like second-class citizens in their own country by offering financial benefits to illegal aliens.”

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In his interview, Coleman said that the decision is not quite official until the federal district judge signs the agreement between the parties — which he stressed is just a formality.

“Nonsensical is not a term that I didn’t expect to use as often as I have the last year,” he said of the case.

“It’s a term from a Harry Potter book or a Roald Dahl book, but nonsensical is spot on and what we’re dealing with here,” Coleman said of what he called putting illegal immigrants and noncitizens before Americans.

DISCOUNTED COLLEGE TUITION FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS POLICY LEADS DOJ TO SUE KENTUCKY

pam-bondi-russell-coleman-ky

Attorney General Pam Bondi, left; Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman, right. (Reuters; Getty Images)

Coleman said the original policy incentivized noncitizens to come to Kentucky over other states that may not offer them the same leg up.

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“There is a joint motion for what is known as a consent judgment,” he said, adding that he has not formally put out any statement on the case as of yet in due respect to the judge who has to sign the consent agreement.

In Fox News Digital’s prior reporting, a spokesperson for Beshear noted the governor has no authority over KCPE, but Coleman appeared not entirely convinced of the dynamic.

Beshear “won’t hesitate to take credit for any positive policy that comes out of KCPE,” he said. “He appointed most members of the KCPE and in real world you’re responsible for those that you appoint to these roles, that you have influence on those you appoint to these role, but yet of course who wants to walk away from that because of the nonsensical nature of this.”

Coleman, who was a former U.S. attorney before becoming the commonwealth’s top lawman, said it should not have taken Bondi and the Trump administration to put an end to in-state tuition for illegal immigrants in the Bluegrass State.

“I do applaud the fact that (KCPE) did the right thing and followed the law, but it took the Justice Department and all of its legal leverage and the chief law enforcement officer of the state opining on the legality before they did right thing,” he said. “That’s disappointing.” 

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“They should be stewards of these institutions,” he said. “What they do is important and we have great universities in this commonwealth. They need to be focusing on incentivizing. The best and the brightest to come to this commonwealth, not incentivizing those that are out of status, that are violating our laws.”

He also said he hopes Bondi will continue pursuing others of the more than a dozen states with similar policies.

“I’m fully on board with common sense returning and whether it is protecting girls from men playing in their sports to enforcing federal law in the immigration context,” he said. “I’m for our universities supporting our best and brightest and not perpetuating this incentive for those that are out of status to fill seats in the classrooms.”

“That is not only unlawful, it comes back to the notion of just head-scratching and nonsensical.”

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Fox News Digital reached out to Beshear’s office, the Justice Department and a representative for Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education for comment.

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Challenges to Pelosi part of broader movement to replace the Democratic Party’s old guard

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Challenges to Pelosi part of broader movement to replace the Democratic Party’s old guard

State Sen. Scott Wiener couldn’t wait any longer. The once-in-a-generation political opening he’d eyed for years had arrived, he decided — whether the grand dame of San Francisco politics agreed or not.

On Wednesday, Wiener, 55, a prolific and ambitious lawmaker, formally announced his candidacy for the San Francisco congressional seat held for nearly four decades by Rep. Nancy Pelosi, 85, who remains one of the party’s most powerful leaders and has yet to reveal her own intentions for the 2026 race.

“The world is changing, the Democratic Party is changing, and it’s time,” Wiener said in an interview with The Times. “I know San Francisco, I have worked tirelessly to represent this community — delivering housing, health care, clean energy, LGBTQ and immigrant rights — and I have a fortitude and backbone to be able to deliver for San Francisco in Congress.”

State Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) announced Wednesdat that he will run for the congressional seat currently held by former Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

(Josh Edelson/For The Times)

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Wiener’s announcement — which leaked in part last week — caught some political observers off guard, given Wiener had for years seemed resigned to run for Pelosi’s seat only once she stepped aside. But it stunned few, given how squarely it fit within the broader political moment facing the Democratic Party.

In recent years, a long-simmering reckoning over generational power has exploded into the political forefront as members of the party’s old guard have increasingly been accused of holding on too long, and to their party’s detriment.

Long-serving liberal Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg ruffled many Democratic feathers by declining to step down during Barack Obama’s presidency despite being in her 80s. She subsequently died while still on the court at the age of 87 in 2020, handing President Trump his third appointment to the high court.

Californians watched as the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein, another D.C. power player from San Francisco, teetered into frailty, muddled through her final chapter in Washington and then died in office at 90 in 2023. The entire nation watched as President Biden, another octogenarian, gave a disastrous debate performance that sparked unrelenting questions about his age and cognitive abilities and cleared the way for Trump’s return to power last year.

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Visitors walk past a bust of U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein at San Francisco City Hall.

Visitors walk past a bust of U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein at San Francisco City Hall. The former mayor of San Francisco served in the Senate until she died in 2023 at age 90.

(Stephen Lam/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)

As a result, age has become an unavoidable tension point for Democrats heading into next year’s midterm elections.

It has also been an issue for Republicans, including Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), 83, the former Senate majority leader who has faced health issues in recent years and is retiring in 2026 after more than 40 years in the Senate. Other older Republicans are facing primary challenges for being perceived as too traditional or insufficiently loyal to Trump or the MAGA movement — including Sen. John Cornyn (R-Tex.), 73 and in office since 2002, and Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), 68 and in the Senate since 2015.

For decades, many conservatives have called for congressional term limits in opposition to “career politicians” who cling to power for too long. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, and David Trone, a Maryland Democrat, renewed those calls on Wednesday, announcing in an op-ed published in the New York Times that they would co-chair a national campaign to push for term limits.

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However, perhaps because they are in power, the calls for a generational shake-up in 2026 have not been nearly as loud on the Republican side.

Democratic Party activists have sounded the alarm about a quickening slide into gerontocracy on the political left, blamed it for their party’s inability to mount an energetic and effective response to Trump and his MAGA movement, and called for younger candidates to take the reins — while congressional leaders in their 70s and 80s have increasingly begun weighing their options in the face of primary challenges.

“It’s fair to say the political appetite for octogenarians is not high,” said Eric Jaye, a veteran Democratic strategist in San Francisco.

“The choice in front of people is not just age,” said Saikat Chakrabarti, a 39-year-old tech millionaire and Democratic political operative who is also running for Pelosi’s seat. “We need a whole different approach and different candidates.”

“There’s like this unspoken rule that you don’t do what we’re doing in this moment. You sit out and wait your turn,” said Sacramento City Councilmember Mai Vang, 40, who has launched a primary challenge to Rep. Doris Matsui (D-Sacramento), who is 81 and has been in Congress since 2005. “But I’m not going to wait on the sidelines, because there is an urgency of now.”

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A national trend

The generational shift promises to reshape Congress by replacing Democrats across the country, including some who are leaving without a fight.

Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, 78 and a senator representing New Hampshire since 2009, said in March that it was “time” to step aside.

In Illinois, Sen. Richard Durbin, 80 and a senator since 1997, and Rep. Jan Schakowsky, 81 and in the House since 1999, both announced in May that they would not run again. Durbin said it was time “to pass the torch,” while Schakowsky praised younger “voices” in the party as “so sharp.”

Rep. Jerry Nadler of New York, 78 and in the House since 1992, announced his retirement last month, saying that “watching the Biden thing really said something about the necessity for generational change in the party.”

New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani speaks at a news conference.

New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani speaks at a news conference.

(Michael Nagle/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

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Other older Democrats, meanwhile, have shown no intention of stepping aside, or are seeking out new roles in power.

Maine Gov. Janet Mills, 77, recently announced she is running to challenge Republican Sen. Susan Collins, who is 72 and has been in the Senate since 1997. Mills has tried to soften concerns about her age by promising to serve just one term if elected.

Sen. Ed Markey of Massachusetts, 79 and in the Senate since 2013, has stiffly rebuffed a primary challenge from Rep. Seth Moulton, 46, accusing Moulton of springing a challenge on him amid a shutdown and while he is busy resisting Trump’s agenda.

In Connecticut, Rep. John Larson, 77, who has been in office since 1999 and suffered a complex partial seizure on the House floor in February, has mocked his primary challengers’ message of generational change, telling Axios, “Generational change is fine, but you’ve got to earn it.”

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Parkland shooting survivor David Hogg speaks during the March for Our Lives in 2022.

David Hogg, a survivor of the 2018 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., speaks at the 2022 March for Our Lives.

(Leigh Vogel / Getty Images for March For Our Lives)

David Hogg, a 25-year-old liberal activist who was thrust into politics by the 2018 mass shooting at his Parkland, Fla., high school, is among the party’s younger leaders pushing for new blood. He recently declined to seek reelection as the co-vice chair of the Democratic National Committee to bring primary challenges to older Democratic incumbents with his group Leaders We Deserve.

When he announced that decision in June, Hogg called the idea that Democratic leaders can stay in power until they die even if they don’t do a good job an “existential threat to the future of this party and nation.” His group fundraises and disperses money to young candidates it backs.

When asked by The Times about Pelosi and her primary challengers, however, Hogg was circumspect, calling Pelosi “one of the most effective and consequential leaders in the history of the Democratic Party.”

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A shift in California

Pelosi is not the only older California incumbent facing a primary challenge. In addition to Matsui, the list also includes Rep. Brad Sherman (D-Porter Ranch), who is 70 and has been in office since 1997, and Rep. Mike Thompson (D-St. Helena), who is 74 and has been in office since 1999.

But Pelosi’s challenges have attracted more attention, perhaps in part because her departure from Congress would be the clearest sign yet that the generational shift sought by younger party activists is fully underway.

Nancy Pelosi waves the speaker's gavel

Nancy Pelosi is sworn in as House speaker in 2007, surrounded by her grandchildren and children of other members of Congress.

(Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images)

A trailblazer as the first female speaker of the House, Pelosi presided over two Trump impeachments. While no longer in leadership, she remains incredibly influential as an arm-twister and strategist.

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She played a central role in sidelining Biden after his debate meltdown, and for the last couple months has been raising big money — a special skill of hers — in support of California’s Proposition 50. The measure seeks voter approval to redraw California’s congressional districts to better favor Democrats in response to Trump’s pressure campaign on Texas and other red states to redraw their lines in favor of Republicans.

Pelosi has used Prop. 50 in recent days to deflect questions about her primary challengers and her plans for 2026, with her spokesman Ian Krager saying she “is fully focused” on the Prop 50 fight and will be through Nov. 4.

Chakrabarti, who helped Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) unseat a longtime Democratic incumbent in 2019, said he sees even more “appetite for change” among the party’s base today — as evidenced by “mainstream Democrats who have voted for Nancy Pelosi their whole life” showing up to his events.

And it makes sense, he said.

For decades, Americans have watched the cost of essentials skyrocket while their wages have remained relatively flat, Chakrabarti said, and that has made them desperate to support messages of “bold, sweeping economic change” — whether from Obama or Trump — even as long-serving, mainstream Democrats backed by corporate money have worked to maintain the status quo.

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Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez leaves a news conference at the Capitol in 2019.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez leaves a news conference at the Capitol in 2019. At left is Saikat Chakrabarti, who was her chief of staff and is now a candidate for the congressional seat held by Rep. Nancy Pelosi.

(Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Imag)

He said it is time for Democrats to once again push bold, big ideas, which he plans to do — including Medicare for all, universal child care, free college tuition, millions of new units of affordable housing, a new economy built around climate action, and higher taxes on billionaires and mega-millionaires like him.

Wiener, who also backs Prop. 50 and would be the first out gay person to represent San Francisco in Congress, said he cannot speak to Pelosi’s thinking — or to Politico reporting Wednesday that Pelosi is considering her options and has been seen “publicly elevating” San Francisco Supervisor Connie Chan in the race — but is confident in his readiness for the role.

Wiener agreed with Chakrabarti that big ideas are needed from Democrats to win back voters and make progress. He also said that his track record in the state Legislature shows that he has “been willing to take on very, very big fights to make significant progressive change.”

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“No one has ever accused me of thinking small,” he said — citing his success in passing bills to create more affordable housing, reform health insurance and drug pricing, tackle net neutrality, challenge telecommunications and cable companies and protect LGBTQ+ and other minority communities and immigrants.

“In addition to having the desire to make big progressive change, in addition to talking about big progressive change, you have to be able to put together the coalitions to deliver on that change, because words are not enough,” Wiener said. “I’ve shown over and over again that I know how to do it, and that I can deliver.”

Political analysts said a message of big ideas will clearly resonate with some voters. But they also said that Pelosi, if she stays in the race, will be hard to beat. She will also face more serious questions than ever about her age and “her ability to function at the extraordinarily high level” she has worked at in years past, Jaye said, and will “have to answer those questions.”

If Pelosi decides not to run, Chakrabarti has the benefit of self-funding and of the current party enthusiasm for fresh faces, they said, and anyone — Chan or otherwise — would benefit from a Pelosi endorsement. But Wiener already has a strong base in the district, a track record for getting legislation passed and, as several observers pointed out, a seemingly endless battery.

“Scott Wiener is an animal. The notion of work-life balance is not a concept he has ever had. He is just like a robotic working machine,” said Aaron Peskin, who served 18 years on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, some alongside Wiener.

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Rep. Lateefah Simon (D-Oakland) speaks to reporters at the Capitol in September.

Rep. Lateefah Simon (D-Oakland) speaks to reporters at the Capitol in September.

(Kayla Bartkowski/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Amanda Litman, the president of Run for Something, which supports young progressive candidates, said there is pent-up demand for a new generation of leaders, and “older Democrats, especially those in Congress, need to ask themselves, ‘Am I the best person to lead this party forward right now?’”

Rep. Lateefah Simon (D-Oakland), 48, won her seat in 2024 after longtime Rep. Barbara Lee, 79, who had been in the seat since 1998, decided to run for Oakland mayor. Simon said that to her, “it’s not necessarily about birthdays” but who can do the job — “who can govern, who can mentor and who can hold this administration accountable.”

As a longtime community activist who worked with youth, Simon said she is “extremely excited” by all the energy of young Democratic office seekers. But as a freshman in Congress who has leaned on Lee, Pelosi and other mentors to help her learn the ropes, she said it’s also clear Democrats need to “have some generals who are really, really tried and tested.”

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“What is not helpful to me in this moment,” Simon said, “is for the Democrats to be a circular firing squad.”

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Trump Is Making Major White House Renovations. See What’s Changing.

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Trump Is Making Major White House Renovations. See What’s Changing.

In less than a year, President Trump has already significantly remade the White House. The Oval Office is decorated from top to bottom in gold. The Rose Garden’s lawn is paved over. And on Monday, part of the East Wing was demolished as Mr. Trump’s 90,000-square-foot ballroom project forged ahead.

Here is what we know about five key White House renovations:

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East Wing Ballroom

One of the biggest renovations underway is Mr. Trump’s addition of a ballroom to the East Wing. First announced in July, Mr. Trump trumpeted its construction as necessary to host large events for world leaders. He has said it will cost more than $200 million to build and will hold “999” people.

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Mr. Trump has said that personal contributions and private donations will cover the bill for the ballroom, not taxpayers or foreign contributions. But this has raised concerns among historians and government ethics experts.

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McCrery Architects, via the White House

According to images released by the White House, the proposed design of the ballroom’s interior echoes features of the Grand Ballroom at Mr. Trump’s Palm Beach resort, Mar-a-Lago. At 90,000 square feet, the East Wing Ballroom will nearly double the White House’s footprint. Demolition of part of the East Wing began in late October.

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Alex Kent for The New York Times

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Rose Garden

Over the summer, Mr. Trump had the Rose Garden paved over with stone tiles, and tables with yellow and white striped umbrellas were added, mirroring the hard-surface patio at Mar-a-Lago. But the rose bushes are still there.

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Doug Mills/The New York Times

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Elizabeth Franz for The New York Times

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Mr. Trump recently hosted a dinner for Republican lawmakers in the renovated space, calling it the “Rose Garden Club.” The ceremony to posthumously award the conservative activist Charlie Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom was also held here.

Oval Office

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Mr. Trump’s affinity for gold decor is perhaps most evident in the Oval Office. Portraits framed in gold are mounted on the walls, along with gold framed mirrors and gilded onlays. Even the presidential seal on the ceiling of the office is covered in gold leaf.

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Doug Mills/The New York Times

The Oval Office is the official working space of the president, and in his second term, Mr. Trump has often used it to meet with foreign leaders. The backdrop to these meetings is usually the fireplace mantle that Mr. Trump has adorned with historic items from the White House collection — all in gold.

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President Trump meeting with President Alexander Stubb of Finland on Oct. 9.

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Kenny Holston/The New York Times

Presidents often make changes to the Oval Office to reflect their priorities or the legacy they want to embody. But past presidents, including Mr. Trump in his first term, have typically decorated using a more subdued approach.

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George W. Bush, June 2005

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Barack Obama, January 2014

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Donald Trump, September 2020

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Doug Mills/The New York Times

In his second term, Mr. Trump has even moved the White House ivy that has typically adorned the mantle to a greenhouse.

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Cabinet Room

Mr. Trump’s gold theme extends to the Cabinet Room, where he often holds meetings with his staff and occasionally with international leaders. Golden onlays and trim have been added to the walls, and the mantle is also decorated with gold items.

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Kenny Holston/The New York Times

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Mr. Trump has also added more flags to the room, including flags for specific branches of the military, including the U.S. Army, Navy and Air Force. Ornate chandeliers now light the room.

West Colonnade

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In September, Mr. Trump unveiled the “Presidential Walk of Fame” on the West Colonnade, which is the main walkway between the White House’s executive residence and the West Wing. The exhibit displays every president’s portrait, in chronological order, framed in gold with additional gold onlays above the portraits.

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Doug Mills/The New York Times

But in place of former President Joseph R. Biden Jr.’s portrait is a photo of an autopen signing his name, a reference to the claims Mr. Trump has made without giving evidence that Mr. Biden’s cognitive state impaired him from signing documents and granting pardons. Presidents and other politicians have used devices like the autopen for decades, and Mr. Biden has said he made the clemency decisions that were signed with an autopen.

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Hunter Biden breaks silence on pardon from dad Joe: ‘I realize how privileged I am’

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Hunter Biden breaks silence on pardon from dad Joe: ‘I realize how privileged I am’

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Former first son Hunter Biden is claiming that his father only pardoned him because Donald Trump reclaimed the presidency in November 2024 — and “would not have” done so under “normal circumstances” while the appeals process played out.

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HUNTER BIDEN WAS INVOLVED IN PARDON TALKS TOWARD END OF FATHER’S TERM, SOURCE SAYS

“Donald Trump went and changed everything,” Hunter said in an interview released Monday on journalist Tommy Christopher’s Substack platform.

“And I don’t think that I need to make much of an argument about why it changed everything.”

Hunter Biden, son of US President Joe Biden, speaks to members of the media outside the US Capitol in Washington, DC, US, on Wednesday, Dec. 13, 2023.  (Tierney L. Cross/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

The 55-year-old — who pleaded guilty last year to evading $1.4 million in back taxes to the IRS and was convicted on felony gun charges — declined to mention that he had apparently been present for discussions on pardons during Joe Biden’s final months in the White House.

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HUNTER BIDEN SAYS HE’S STARTED NEW JOB WITH CALIFORNIA NONPROFIT

“I’ve said this before,” Hunter went on.

“My dad would not have pardoned me if President Trump had not won, and the reason that he would not have pardoned me is because I was certain that in a normal circumstance of the appeals [I would have won].”

Hunter Biden

Hunter Biden, son of U.S. President Joe Biden, and his wife Melissa Cohen Biden, leave the J. Caleb Boggs Federal Building on June 07, 2024 in Wilmington, Delaware.  (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

The Biden scion added that Trump was planning a “revenge tour” against his father, which would have made himself the “easiest target to just to intimidate and to not just impact me, but impact my entire family into, into silence in a way that at least he is not — it’s not as easy for him to do [with] me being pardoned.”

FIRST LADY MELANIA TRUMP PUTS HUNTER BIDEN ON $1B NOTICE OVER ‘FALSE, DEFAMATORY’ EPSTEIN COMMENTS

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“I realize how privileged I am,” Hunter went on.

Hunter Biden Air Force One

The Atlantic’s Sarah Chayes urged Biden to stop claiming his son “did nothing wrong.” (REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz)

“I realize how lucky I am; I realize that I got something that almost no one would have gotten.

“But I’m incredibly grateful for it and I have to say that I don’t think that it requires me to make much of a detailed argument for why it was the right thing to do, at least from my dad, from his perspective.”

Ex-White House chief of staff Jeff Zients spilled last month that Hunter “was involved” in clemency talks and even “attended a few meetings,” a source with knowledge of the Biden official’s testimony to the House Oversight Committee told The Post.

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