First former President Trump was convicted in a criminal case, and now the son of the incumbent head of state Biden has been convicted. This provides political ammunition in an already heated US election year.
US President’s son Hunter Biden has been found guilty of illegal possession of weapons in a historic criminal trial. A jury announced the verdict yesterday in the court of the city of Wilmington in the US state of Delaware.
In the middle of an already politically heated election year, the guilty verdict is likely to put additional pressure on President Joe Biden and provide new ground for attack. According to media reports, Hunter Biden is the first child of a sitting US president to be found guilty in a federal criminal case.
The prosecution had accused Hunter Biden of making false statements when purchasing a weapon in October 2018 and of concealing his drug addiction at the time. The 54-year-old denied the charges, but the twelve jurors still found him guilty. He faces up to 25 years in prison.
However, it is considered unlikely that the president’s son will be sentenced to such a long prison term, as he has no previous convictions. The sentence will only be announced at a later date. Hunter Biden said he was “disappointed” by the decision.
Burden for US President Biden
The verdict puts further political pressure on US President Biden, who wants to return to the White House after the presidential election in November. For the Republicans, the guilty verdict is political ammunition. However, several Republicans accuse the Bidens of numerous other criminal offenses – without providing any evidence.
US President Biden’s Republican predecessor Donald Trump, who is also running in the presidential election, said that the trial against Biden’s son had only distracted from the real crimes of the Biden family. “The rule of the corrupt Joe Biden over the criminal empire of the Biden family” will come to an end in the presidential election, his campaign team said.
US President Biden said after the verdict was announced: “I am the president, but I am also a father.” He said he was proud of the man Hunter is today. The Democrat announced that he would accept the result. However, his son is considering an appeal. Biden had previously announced that he would not pardon his son if he was found guilty. In doing so, Biden also wants to present himself as a strong contrast to his rival Trump.
Trump himself was found guilty of illegal campaign financing by a jury in New York State almost two weeks ago. The sentence has not yet been announced, and in the worst case scenario Trump could also face a prison sentence. While the Democrats are trying to discredit Trump as a convicted criminal, the Republican is disparaging the justice system and repeatedly talking about a political witch hunt. Trump has already hinted that he wants to overturn the verdicts against him if he wins the election. He would not be able to do that in New York, as this is not a federal case. However, there are other criminal proceedings pending against him.
Intimate details in the spotlight
Hunter Biden has been making headlines for years. In addition to alcohol and drug addiction, there are also shady business deals and legal disputes with an ex-stripper over child support for an illegitimate child. In California, he is accused of failing to pay federal taxes properly for several years. The trial is scheduled to begin in September. Another possible conviction so shortly before the presidential election could be another setback for Joe Biden.
According to the press, Hunter Biden hugged family members in the courtroom after the verdict was announced. He then left the building hand in hand with his partner and his stepmother, First Lady Jill Biden. During the gun trial in Wilmington, where the Bidens own a house, a lot of dirty laundry was washed. Hunter Biden’s daughter Naomi testified in tears, and his former partners were also questioned. The statements shed light on the president’s son’s drug addiction, which he himself made public in his autobiography. However, he denies being addicted to drugs when he bought the gun.
Many family members in the courtroom – only one is missing
Although US President Biden himself did not come to the courtroom, several other family members showed solidarity – including First Lady Jill Biden. According to media reports, she missed the verdict by a few minutes.
Hunter is his son from his first marriage. As a young man, the current president lost his then wife Neilia and their daughter Naomi in a car accident in 1972. His sons Beau and Hunter survived. Joe Biden’s second wife Jill took on the role of mother to both of them. In 2015, Biden’s son Beau died at the age of 46 from the effects of a brain tumor. Joe and Jill Biden have a daughter together named Ashley.
Biden speaks at gun violence meeting
The timing could not have been more (un)appropriate: Just hours after his son Hunter was convicted of several gun law violations, US President Joe Biden called for more protection against gun violence at an event.
The Democrat spoke out in favor of stricter gun laws at the appointment in Washington, which had been planned well in advance. In his speech, which lasted around 20 minutes, he did not mention his son’s conviction at all. Instead, he said that there must be stricter laws for the storage and purchase of weapons. He began his speech about an hour late. Biden actually wanted to return to the White House afterwards – but instead he flew to Delaware.
Biden travels to his son after guilty verdict
After the conviction, the US President threw his own plans into disarray and traveled to Wilmington. The 81-year-old and his 54-year-old son hugged each other at the New Castle National Guard Base airport.
The US President and First Lady Jill Biden have their main residence in Wilmington, and Joe Biden was also a Senator for the state of Delaware in Washington for many years. The Bidens’ family relationship is considered to be very close. Joe Biden wants to leave for the G7 summit in Italy today. It is not expected that his son’s conviction will change his plans.
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
