A foundational principle of the U.S. Constitution is the idea that no one is above the law. And yet, the power of the presidential pardon, based on the embrace of the concepts of mercy and amnesty, essentially guarantees that, in fact, a select few are actually not held accountable for crimes they have been found guilty of. President Joe Biden’s sweeping pardon of his son Hunter, after repeatedly promising he wouldn’t do it, is a case in point. What can the historical use of this awesome power tell us about how we should judge this political inflection point? USA TODAY Justice Correspondent Bart Jansen joins The Excerpt to dig into this complex and politically fraught topic.

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