Roughly 43% of U.S. adults identify themselves as politically independent. However, according to Gallup polling, only around 7-12% of Americans are considered “truly” independent, which means they do not lean toward either the Democratic or Republican Party.

This small group of genuine independent voters is most likely the ones who see issues from both sides, such as the Hunter Biden-Ukraine business dealings versus the Trump family business conflict situation.

Let’s explore the selective outrage and partisan hypocrisy that have been going on since 2014 and the ensuing partisan divide.

Hunter Biden and Ukraine

Hunter Biden joined the board of the Ukrainian energy company Burisma in 2014 while his father, Joe Biden, was vice-president. Hunter was deeply involved in Ukraine policymaking, which created the appearance of a conflict.

Republicans built a narrative that Hunter’s role represented deep corruption and influence peddling by the Biden family. However, America’s policy toward Ukraine never changed.

A GOP-led Senate investigation was only able to conclude Hunter’s position was troublesome and awkward for U.S. anti-corruption efforts.

Trump family business conflicts

During Donald Trump’s 2017-2021 presidency, he retained ownership of his global business empire, which allowed numerous conflicts of interest to arise in and among eight Trump-branded hotels/resorts, 15 golf courses and around 30 licensing deals (CIO Times). That business ownership still prevails in Trump 2.0.

Ethics watchdogs tracked government and lobbyists’ spending at Trump properties during his first presidency, foreign trademarks granted to Trump companies and ongoing or renewed business ventures in the Middle East, raising serious questions about foreign leverage over U.S. policy (The Week).

A lawsuit filed by 29 Senators and 186 House Democrats alleged Mr. Trump violated the constitution’s emoluments clause.

Key differences at a glance

Hunter Biden held no American government office and served on a private board at one foreign company. Formal GOP-led investigations found the situation was only problematic and GOP’s intensity of criticism included impeachment rhetoric of his father.

Donald Trump was president and his children were senior advisers and had ongoing control over global branding, real estate and licensing. Ethics groups warned of pervasive, structural conflicts that touched on many policy areas. Republicans have not criticized Mr. Trump about violating the emoluments clause during either Trump 1.0 or 2.0 presidencies.

Hunter Biden’s criminal case

Hunter Biden was convicted in federal court on three felony gun charges for lying about his drug use on a 2018 firearm purchase form. He also pleaded guilty to nine federal tax charges in September 2024. However, Hunter received a full presidential pardon by his father, President Joe Biden, which spared Hunter from sentencing and potential prison time.

President Biden’s pardon of his son was highly controversial and one of 80 full clemency pardons issued during his 2021-2025 term of office. Mr. Trump issued 144 full clemency pardons during his 2017-2021 presidency and over 1,500 pardons have occurred since Jan. 20 (Aljazeera).

Hunter’s case deals with straightforward criminal statutes of a personal nature rather than an alleged abuse of public office.

Donald Trump and Trump family constitutional and ethics issues

Donald Trump’s situation is legally distinct, with lawsuits and watchdog reports focusing on whether he violated the emoluments clause by continuing to own businesses that received $160 million from foreign and domestic government clients while he was president (CREW). On Jan. 25, 2021, the Supreme Court identified the emolument lawsuits as moot because Trump was no longer president.

Trump’s children and in-laws held formal government roles in Trump 1.0 and in Trump’s 2.0 administration, all the while maintaining or pursuing foreign business interests. This has prompted legal and ethics complaints about conflicts and potential violations of anti-nepotism norms. Mr. Trump has argued conflict-of-interest rules do not apply to him as president.

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Steve Corbin is a Professor Emeritus of Marketing

at the University of Northern Iowa.