I was very happy to read that the President pardoned his son after all. When you are dealing with thugs, you need to be a realist and acknowledge that you are dealing with thugs.
As many have pointed out, if Hunter had not been a member of this particular family, there simply would have been a plea deal, as is usual in such cases. There actually was a plea deal in place, but Republican pressure made it fall through.
Given everything we know, we cannot pretend that we are transitioning to a normal American administration. There is every reason to believe that the creep would have continued to torment the only son of his perceived enemy, if only to entertain his base.
In the immortal words of Joseph Mankiewicz: Fasten your seatbelts, it’s going to be a bumpy night.