President Joe Biden issued a statement Tuesday after his 54-year-old son was convicted of three felonies related to lying on an application to buy a gun.
The president said he is proud of Hunter Biden.
"As I said last week, I am the President, but I am also a Dad," Biden said in a statement.
"Jill and I love our son, and we are so proud of the man he is today. 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,” he said.
"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 said.
"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,” he said.
.@POTUS statement on verdict in Hunter Biden’s trial. pic.twitter.com/oBT9yoLhaf
— Jeff Mason (@jeffmason1) June 11, 2024
Biden had said last week that he would not pardon his son if Hunter were convicted, according to ABC News.
On Tuesday, jurors in Delaware found him guilty of lying to a federally licensed gun dealer when purchasing a gun in 2018, making a false claim on the application by saying he was not a drug user and illegally having the gun for 11 days.
Hunter Biden released a post-verdict statement praising his family.
“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,” he said, referring to his wife, Melissa Cohen.
"Recovery is possible by the grace of God, and I am blessed to experience that gift one day at a time," the president's son said.
Statements from Hunter Biden and his defense attorney. pic.twitter.com/OMPEUbCM47
— CSPAN (@cspan) June 11, 2024
CNN reported that after the conviction, the president revised his schedule to travel to Wilmington, Delaware, presumably to be with Hunter.
An editorial in the New York Post said Hunter Biden's decision to plead not guilty to the charges against him was a sign of his “entitled arrogance, fully supported by the first family.”
“But he plainly figured he might get off -- that at least one juror in Biden-loving Delaware would be intimidated by the power appearance of first lady Jill Biden and the rest of the clan in the courtroom, or taken in by his heartbreaking story,” the editorial said.
“Nor will this be the end of his chutzpah: Once sentenced (and federal sentencing guidelines suggest a good chance he won’t get prison time), he’ll likely appeal -- probably by arguing that this law, passed with help from then-Sen. Joe Biden, violates the Second Amendment,” it said.
Although much of the Biden family's reaction to the verdict focused on Hunter's drug addiction, special counsel David Weiss said that was not an issue in the case, CNN reported.
“Ultimately this case was not just about addiction, a disease that haunts families across the United States, including Hunter Biden’s family. This case was about the illegal choices the defendant made while in the throes of addiction,” Weiss said.
“His choice to lie on a government form when he bought a gun. And the choice to then possess that gun. It was these choices and the combination of guns and drugs, that made his conduct dangerous,” the prosecutor said.
