It was the tweet heard 'round the digital world. On May 31, 2024, just one day after a Manhattan jury delivered a historic guilty verdict against Donald Trump, President Joe Biden hit send on a four-word post that would eventually become a lightning rod for his entire legacy: "No one is above the law."
At the time, it felt like a definitive punctuation mark on a chaotic era of American politics. But honestly? Politics moves fast. What started as a victory lap for the rule of law has turned into a complicated mess of "he-said, she-said" and questions about legal consistency.
The Context: A Post-Verdict Victory Lap
The timing wasn't an accident. Biden’s tweet was posted almost exactly 24 hours after Donald Trump was convicted on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records. For the Biden administration, this was the ultimate proof that the "American principle" still held water.
Biden didn't just stop at the tweet. He doubled down in a White House address, calling the justice system the "cornerstone of America" and warning that it was "reckless" and "dangerous" for anyone to suggest the trial was rigged. It was a clear attempt to draw a line in the sand between his administration’s respect for institutions and his predecessor’s rhetoric.
The "Fine Milk" Moment: Enter the Hunter Biden Pardon
Fast forward to December 2024. This is where things get messy.
President Biden, after months of promising—and I mean repeatedly promising—that he would not pardon his son Hunter, did exactly that. He issued a "full and unconditional pardon" for Hunter Biden, covering a decade's worth of potential federal offenses.
The backlash was instant.
👉 See also: What Category Was Harvey? The Surprising Truth Behind the Number
Conservative lawmakers like Senator Ted Cruz were quick to dig up that May 31st tweet. Cruz famously remarked that the post had "aged like fine milk." The argument from the right was simple: how can you claim no one is above the law while using your executive power to ensure your own son doesn't face the legal consequences of a jury's decision?
Basically, the tweet became a meme. It shifted from a pillar of democratic values to a weapon used by critics to label the President a hypocrite.
Why This Specific Phrase Matters So Much
The phrase "no one is above the law" isn't just a catchy slogan. It’s a core tenet of the American legal system. You've heard it in civics class, but seeing it applied—or not applied—to the highest levels of power is a different story.
The Supreme Court Angle
It’s not just about the Hunter pardon. Biden’s obsession with this phrase also stems from his frustration with the Supreme Court. In July 2024, after the Court ruled that presidents have broad immunity for official acts, Biden was visibly shaken.
He wrote a scathing op-ed in the Washington Post calling for a "No One Is Above the Law Amendment." He argued that the Court’s decision essentially turned the presidency into a kingship—something the Founders specifically tried to avoid.
"This nation was founded on a simple yet profound principle: No one is above the law. Not the president... No one." — Joe Biden, July 29, 2024.
✨ Don't miss: When Does Joe Biden's Term End: What Actually Happened
So, you have two very different narratives happening at once:
- The Biden Defense: The President argues he is protecting the law from a "rogue" Supreme Court and "politicized" prosecutions of his family.
- The Critic's View: The President is using the rule of law as a shield when it suits him and ignoring it when it involves his son.
The Semantic Variations: Rule of Law vs. Executive Privilege
When we talk about the joe biden no one is above the law tweet, we’re really talking about the Rule of Law.
In a healthy democracy, the law is supposed to be a blind referee. It shouldn't care if your last name is Biden or Trump. But the reality is that the pardon power is a constitutional "get out of jail free" card. It is, by definition, a way for a president to put someone above the standard legal process.
The irony isn't lost on most people. Whether you support the pardon because you think Hunter was "targeted" or you hate it because it feels like a double standard, the tweet remains the center of the gravity for the debate.
What Most People Get Wrong
A lot of folks think that "no one is above the law" means "the law is always fair."
It doesn't.
🔗 Read more: Fire in Idyllwild California: What Most People Get Wrong
Biden’s own explanation for the pardon was that the law wasn't being applied fairly to his son. He claimed that "raw politics" had infected the process. This creates a weird paradox: he used his power to bypass the law in the name of fairness, even while his previous tweets insisted the system was the "cornerstone" of the country.
It’s a nuance that often gets lost in 280-character battles.
Actionable Insights: What This Means for You
So, what do we actually do with all this? It’s easy to get cynical about politics, but there are a few takeaways:
- Watch the Language: Pay attention to when politicians use "absolute" language like "no one" or "always." It almost always comes back to haunt them because reality is full of exceptions.
- Understand the Pardon Power: If you're frustrated by this, look into the history of Article II, Section 2 of the Constitution. Presidents of all parties have used this power in ways that feel "above the law" to their opponents.
- Demand Consistency: Regardless of which "side" you're on, the only way to protect the rule of law is to hold leaders accountable to the standards they set for others.
The joe biden no one is above the law tweet will likely be remembered as one of the most significant social media posts of his presidency—not because of what it said, but because of the debate it triggered about the soul of American justice.
To stay informed on how these legal precedents are shifting, you should regularly check the official White House briefings alongside independent legal analysis from sites like SCOTUSblog or the Lawfare Institute. These sources provide the technical breakdown that Twitter usually leaves out.
Next Steps for Readers:
Review the full text of the Supreme Court's immunity ruling from July 2024 to understand the legal framework Biden was responding to. Compare that with the official statement released by the White House on December 1, 2024, regarding the Hunter Biden pardon to see how the administration's rhetoric shifted over six months.