Hunter Biden entered a guilty plea to tax charges and is currently awaiting sentencing. Biden became the first child of a sitting president to be convicted of a felony after being found guilty at trial of using illegal drugs while in possession of a firearm. In a recent interview, former President Donald Trump showed some lenience for Hunter and said that if reelected, he would be willing to pardon him. “I wouldn’t take it off the books,” Trump told radio host Hugh Hewitt. “See, unlike Joe Biden , despite what they’ve done to me, where they’ve gone after me so viciously, despite what, and Hunter’s a bad boy,” the Republican leader added. “There’s no question about it. He’s been a bad boy. All you had to do was see the laptop from hell. But I happen to think it’s very bad for our country.”
According to Politico , Trump’s campaign has continuously drawn attention to Hunter’s trial on social media and consistently framed his legal issues as belonging to the “Biden crime family.” However, when Trump and Hunter were both convicted of felonies within weeks of one another earlier this year, Karoline Leavitt, Trump campaign’s National Press Secretary characterized Hunter’s gun trial as a ” distraction from the real crimes of the Biden Crime Family ,” which it claimed were a string of dubious transactions with foreign governments that have been proven false.
President Biden declared in June that if his son is convicted of federal gun-related crimes, he will not pardon him. “I’ve been very clear; the president is not going to pardon his son,” press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in December, as per CNN . “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,” the president said in a statement while the trial was underway. He went on to explain his support for Hunter but refrained from commenting on the legal aspects of the case.
Trump asked if he would pardon Hunter Biden: “I wouldn’t take it off the books.. and Hunter’s been a bad boy.. there’s no question about it.. he’s been a bad boy.” pic.twitter.com/e7bcc69cxS
— Valuetainment Media (@ValuetainmentTV) October 24, 2024
“Hunter’s resilience in the face of adversity and the strength he has brought to his recovery are inspiring to us. A lot of families have loved ones who have overcome addiction and know what we mean,” he went on. “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. 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.”
As reported by the New York Times , for the tax charges, Hunter faces a potential penalty of 17 years in federal prison and a fine of $1.35 million. For failing to file returns and fabricating records from a time when he was addicted to crack, booze, and quick money, he was charged with nine counts. In addition, he faces a potential sentence of 25 years in prison after being found guilty in Delaware of falsifying a federal weapons application.