Joe Biden gives thumbs up, blows a kiss from Air Force One as he makes first appearance after pardoning son Hunter

Joe Biden was pictured saluting and blowing a kiss to spectators from the Air Force One in his first public appearance after he pardoned his son Hunter.

Outgoing US President Joe Biden was pictured saluting and blowing kisses to spectators from the top steps of Air Force One in his first public appearance on Sunday night after he pardoned his son Hunter.

Biden declared that he has pardoned his son in the wake of his federal firearms conviction, claiming that the Justice Department had “selectively, and unfairly, prosecuted” Hunter. (AP)

While leaving for his official trip in Angola, Biden, 82, made the patriotic gesture after climbing the presidential jet's stairs.

In addition, he also gave a thumbs up as he brushed off yelled queries from reporters over the historic clemency grant.

Biden is travelling to Africa as promise to promote a US-backed railway project in three nations that he has pushed as an unconventional approach to reduce some of China's influence in the world.

On Sunday, Biden declared that he has pardoned his son in the wake of his federal firearms conviction, claiming that the Justice Department had “selectively, and unfairly, prosecuted” Hunter. However, the outgoing President earlier announced that he would not pardon his son.

Trump reacts as Biden pardons Hunter

President-elect Donald Trump hit out at Biden's move to pardon Hunter by denouncing it as a “miscarriage of justice”.

“Does the Pardon given by Joe to Hunter include the J-6 Hostages, who have now been imprisoned for years? Such an abuse and miscarriage of Justice!” he wrote on Truth Social.

Meanwhile, Fox News contributor Charlie Hurt urged Trump to release all the January 6 Capitol rioters.

“I think he should at least commute the sentences of all of them and pardoned every single one that was obviously just following the person in front of them wandering through the capital,” Hurt stated, suggesting the President-elect to “pardon every single one of them”.

“There were some that did more than just that. And I think he should commute their sentences and let them all out! Every single one of them,” he added.

Over1,200 people have been charged with offenses relating to January 6. Others were accused of disrupting a formal event on the day Congress convened to validate the electoral votes who elected Biden as president.