Jill Biden Joins Hunter in Federal Court on Day One of Trial
Whomever else he might face in court today as his trial on federal gun charges kicks off, presidential son Hunter Biden will have at least one friendly face in the gallery.
First lady Jill Biden traveled to the Delaware courthouse where the trial was scheduled to begin Monday morning in an apparent show of support for her stepson.
Both Bidens, along with President Joe Biden himself, apparently spent the weekend together at the White House and then in Wilmington, according to The Hill.
“President Biden and the first lady spent Sunday night in Wilmington, where Hunter Biden’s trial is taking place,” The Hill reported. “The Bidens have a residence in Wilmington and frequently travel there on the weekends. Hunter Biden was spotted at the White House last Friday and traveled with the family to Delaware ahead of his trial.”
It was considered unlikely that the president himself would make an appearance at the courthouse, as “he and the White House have tried to maintain a distance from the legal proceedings” buffeting Hunter, according to the outlet.
He’s on record, however, as claiming that his son did “nothing wrong” and for expressing his pride over Hunter Biden’s apparently successful struggles with drug addiction.
Hunter Biden is on trial for allegedly lying on a federal form he completed in order to buy a gun in 2018, The Hill reported.
Despite being addicted to cocaine, he claimed that he didn’t use drugs, presumably knowing that to do otherwise on the form would prevent him from purchasing a firearm.
He also faces charges for purchasing the weapon while using illegal drugs and for lying to the firearms dealer from whom he purchased it, according to Time.
Hunter Biden, 54, faces a maximum prison sentence of 25 years if convicted on all three charges, Time noted. However, given that he is a first-time offender — not to mention the president’s son — it’s unlikely that he would serve such a heavy sentence, the outlet suggested.
Regardless of how he is sentenced, NBC News reported last year that President Biden claimed he would not offer his son a presidential pardon if he’s convicted, though even NBC acknowledged that not everyone believed those claims.
“The bond between father and son is deep enough that some Democratic lawmakers and fundraisers believe a pardon may be inevitable, despite the denials coming from the White House,” the outlet reported in December.
Jury selection in the case began today, and was expected to last into tomorrow as the judge seeks to find 12 jurors who can claim convincingly to be impartial about the president’s son.
Jill Biden is Hunter’s stepmother and Joe Biden’s second wife. Hunter Biden’s biological mother, Neilia Biden, was killed in a car accident when Hunter was 2 years old.
Also at the trial today, according to The Hill, was Ashley Biden, Hunter Biden’s half-sister.
“As the President, I don’t and won’t comment on pending federal cases, but as a Dad, I have boundless love for my son, confidence in him, and respect for his strength,” Joe Biden said in a statement Monday morning, according to NBC. “Our family has been through a lot together, and Jill and I are going to continue to be there for Hunter and our family with our love and support.”
The trial is expected to last less than two weeks.
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