President Joe Biden is ducking questions on his decision to break his word and pardon his son Hunter, ignoring calls for him to explain his reversal as he was making his first presidential trip to Angola.

That’s basically a full reversal from where Democrats were before. YouGov polling in September 2023 showed almost the exact same numbers, but reversed. More than six in 10 Democrats opposed such a pardon at least “somewhat,” while just more than two in 10 supported it.

The presidential pardon is a centuries-old practice. As questions swirl around Joe Biden pardoning Hunter Biden, here’s a look into how the practice came about.