Earlier this week, Hunter Biden was convicted on federal gun charges where he was found guilty of lying about his substance abuse when purchasing a firearm in 2018. President Biden addressed his son’s conviction, suggesting that his re-election bid led to the outcome where Republicans have investigated the Biden family extensively.
According to a report from Politico, Biden told an individual close to him that “If I weren’t running for re-election, he would have gotten the plea deal.” The president’s son was found guilty on all three counts by a Delaware jury, where Hunter could face up to 25 years in prison and a $750,000 fine. However, he is expected to receive a much lighter sentence given that he is a first-time offender.
Following the verdict, President Biden released a statement voicing his love and support for his son, who has struggled with substance abuse over the years. “As I said last week, I am the president, but I am also a dad. Jill and I love our son, and we are so proud of the man he is today,” Biden said.
Biden further addressed drug addiction, a challenging problem that many people struggle to overcome. However, Biden noted that he would “accept” the outcome of the case and “respect the judicial process” as Hunter would ostensibly seek an appeal.
“So many families who have had loved ones battle addiction understand the feeling of pride seeing someone you love come out the other side and be so strong and resilient in recovery. As I also said last week, I will accept the outcome of this case and will continue to respect the judicial process as Hunter considers an appeal,” the president added.
The president’s son released his own statement, expressing his gratitude for his family’s support during his federal trial. “I am more grateful today for the love and support I experienced this last week from Melissa, my family, my friends, and my community than I am disappointed by the outcome. Recovery is possible by the grace of God, and I am blessed to experience that gift one day at a time,” he said.
The American Tribune reported earlier this month, when President Biden noted that he wouldn’t seek to pardon his son over the gun charges if he were convicted in the federal trial. In an interview with ABC News’ David Muir at the Normandy American Cemetery on the 80th anniversary of the D-Day invasion, Biden was asked if he would accept the result of the trial to which he answered “yes.”
Furthermore, Hunter’s legal team has blamed “MAGA Republicans” for pushing investigators to target Hunter Biden. His attorneys said, “As expected, prosecutors filed charges today that they deemed were not warranted just six weeks ago following a five-year investigation into this case. The evidence in this matter has not changed in the last six weeks, but the law has and so has MAGA Republicans’ improper and partisan interference in this process.”
Featured image credit: By Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from Washington D.C, United States – 210120-D-WD757-2097, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=99135585
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