Trump Allies ‘Secretly Rooted’ for Hunter Biden’s Acquittal, Conviction Undercut Trump’s Narrative

Donald Trump's supporters were not as pleased with Hunter Biden's conviction on all three of the felony gun charges against him as a political rival would typically be, since it undermined a significant portion of Trump's narrative attacking the justice system. "Many Trump allies had been secretly rooting for an acquittal," The New York Times reported.

Republican allies of the former president have reacted strangely to Hunter's guilty verdict. Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) called it "kinda dumb," while others like Trump backer biotech billionaire Vivek Ramaswamy suggested it was a plot to shield President Joe Biden.

However, Trump's allies had been hoping for an acquittal to create a narrative that would be simpler to manipulate, per Raw Story. "The talking points wrote themselves: It would have been yet more evidence that the United States justice system was rigged in favor of the Bidens and against the Trumps," the outlet reported. "Tuesday’s guilty verdict was inconvenient to that narrative."

Speaking on the condition of anonymity, a source familiar with the Trump campaign's fundraising strategies revealed that discussions had taken place regarding the potential benefits of Hunter's acquittal, which could result in Trump's campaign raising tens of millions of dollars more as they planned to use it as further proof that the legal system was rigged.

The insider claimed that when Trump was found guilty on 34 criminal counts in Manhattan, his campaign collected unprecedented online donations, and some of his advisors realized that an acquittal of Biden's son would likely bring in considerably more money for Trump than a conviction. Trump has allegedly also asked his supporters to not go after Hunter since it could backfire on his campaign. 

According to a source who attended the discussion and spoke anonymously to disclose a private exchange, Trump admitted to an acquaintance in private last year that assaults on the president's son may have political unintended consequences.

Republicans should exercise caution, according to Mr. Trump, "not to go overboard" with their criticism of Hunter Biden, particularly concerning his addiction struggles, since this may generate compassion and the people might view the president as a loving parent.

"These days, Mr. Trump rarely mentions Hunter Biden on the stump," the newspaper added. "Instead, he tends to refer broadly to Mr. Biden and his family as corrupt."

The fact that Trump, who had spent years criticizing Hunter for his addiction, wealth, and career, had yet to write anything on the verdict just hours after it was rendered, said volumes. Rather, a statement from his campaign called the conviction a distraction.

“This trial has been nothing more than a distraction from the real crimes of the Biden Crime Family, which has raked in tens of millions of dollars from China, Russia, and Ukraine,” said Karoline Leavitt, the Trump campaign’s national press secretary. “Crooked Joe Biden’s reign over the Biden Family Criminal Empire is all coming to an end on November 5, and never again will a Biden sell government access for personal profit.”