President Joe Biden flew to Wilmington, Delaware to be with his son Hunter Biden on Tuesday, after a jury convicted him on three federal gun charges.
Hours after the verdict, the White House Press Office announced the president’s schedule had changed and he would head toward his hometown. Later that afternoon, the president landed in Delaware – greeting his son, daughter-in-law and grandson on the tarmac.
Hunter was charged with two counts of making false statements and one count of unlawfully possessing a firearm for obtaining a gun in October 2018 while he was addicted and using crack cocaine.
The president has already said he will not pardon his son but issued a statement saying he and First Lady Jill Biden love and support their son and are proud of his resilience in recovery.
Throughout Hunter’s federal gun charges trial, members of the Biden family flocked to the courthouse to show their support for Hunter. The first lady attended nearly every day of the trial as did President Biden’s siblings James Biden and Valerie Biden Owens.
How the Hunter Biden guilty verdict will affect the election
Were the charges serious? Yes. Any gun-related criminal charge is generally serious, even in a country with relatively lax laws governing the possession and acquisition of firearms.
The week-long trial, held in a federal courthouse not far from where President Biden’s re-election campaign is based, marked a low point for Hunter. The Yale-educated attorney-turned-businessman has struggled with drug and alcohol addiction for decades, by his own admission.
Andrew Feinberg12 June 2024 05:00
Could Joe Biden pardon Hunter?
President Joe Biden ruled out pardoning his son, and the president has said he would respect the outcome of the jury trial, which marked the first-ever criminal proceedings of the son of a sitting US president.
But conservative commentators and social media critics have questioned whether the president will stand by his statements after his son’s conviction on three gun counts that could put him in prison for up to 25 years.
If Biden did pardon Hunter, he would be relying on longstanding executive authority that has been exercised dozens of times – but it would be an unprecedented and potentially politically devastating decision from a president who has repeatedly pledged that no one is above the law.
“I will accept the outcome of this case and will continue to respect the judicial process as Hunter considers an appeal,” he said on Tuesday after the verdict was announced. “Jill and I will always be there for Hunter and the rest of our family with our love and support. Nothing will ever change that.”
Alex Woodward12 June 2024 01:00
Hunter Biden conviction draws complaints from far-right social media
Far-right commentators couldn’t help but whine on social media moments after Hunter Biden became a convicted felon – despite asking for years for his conviction.
Ariana Baio11 June 2024 23:00
Hunter Biden juror ‘felt sorry’ for Naomi having to testify in trial
Naomi Biden’s testimony during her father’s testimony weighed on the jury as they deliberated Hunter Biden’s conviction.
“No daughter should ever have to testify,” an anonymous juror told CNN an hour after the verdict.
Ariana Baio11 June 2024 22:00
Joe Biden arrives in Delaware
President Joe Biden arrived in Delaware on Tuesday afternoon, meeting his son, Hunter Biden, on the tarmac where Marine One landed.
Hunter was joined by his wife, Melissa Cohen Biden, and their son, Beau Biden.
Ariana Baio11 June 2024 21:48
Congressman compares Democratic response to Biden verdict to Republicans
Ariana Baio11 June 2024 21:45
From the trial: Hunter Biden’s ex-wife testifies
Hunter Biden’s ex-wife, Kathleen Buhle, outlined his drug use in detailed testimony at his federal gun trial last week.
A hesitant-seeming Buhle, in a tan suit, white shirt, and black glasses, testified that she found a broken pipe, pipe-cleaning materials, a white powder, and remnants of crystals in Biden’s car. She said she looked for drugs in his vehicle more than once so that her daughters wouldn’t drive with drugs in the vehicle.
She added that he continued to work while using drugs and that she found that others didn’t notice his drug use. He tried to hide his drug use from family and friends, she said.
The ex-wife added that they talked about him going to rehab, noting that he initially didn’t want to but that he eventually did.
Biden, in a dark suit and slicked-back hair, looked intently at Buhle but didn’t give away much emotion during her testimony.
On cross-examination, she said alcohol had been an issue throughout their marriage, and that Biden initially went to rehab in 2003, ten years into their marriage.
Gustaf Kilander11 June 2024 21:30
Watch: Hunter Biden leaves federal court in Delaware hand in hand with the First Lady and his wife
Ariana Baio11 June 2024 21:00
Joe Biden makes no mention of Hunter’s conviction during speech
President Joe Biden made no mention of his son, Hunter Biden’s, gun charges conviction while delivering a speech at the Everytown for Gun Safety event in Washington, DC.
The president’s remarks included acknowledging his administration’s steps in strengthing gun laws in the country and holding those accountable who break the laws.
His son was found guilty of lying on a federal gun form, lying to a firearm salesman and unlawfully possessing a gun on Tuesday.
Ariana Baio11 June 2024 20:30
Watch: Joe Biden speaks about gun control after son Hunter found guilty
Ariana Baio11 June 2024 20:15