US President Joe Biden made a public statement on Monday regarding his son Hunter Biden’s criminal trial, emphasizing that he will not intervene in the legal or political aspects of the case, but will express his love for his son. Meanwhile, First Lady Jill Biden arrived at the courthouse to attend the start of the trial on Monday.
In his statement, Biden wrote, “I am the President, but I am also a father. Jill and I both love our son, and we are proud of the person he is today. Hunter’s resilience in the face of adversity and his strength during his recovery process inspire us deeply.”
“As President, I do not and will not comment on pending federal cases, but as a father, I have infinite love for my son, confidence in him, and great respect for his strength,” added Biden.
At the time of Biden’s statement, Hunter was facing federal gun charges in Delaware.
Biden and the First Lady stayed at their home in Wilmington, Delaware on Sunday night. On Monday morning, Jill rushed to the courthouse to attend Hunter’s trial, which happened to fall on her 73rd birthday.
Hunter’s sister Ashley Biden also attended the trial on Monday.
Hunter visited the White House last Friday and spent the weekend in Delaware with his family before the trial commenced.
The trial proceedings, which started on Monday, began with the selection of jury members.
In this case, Special Prosecutor David Weiss brought three charges against Hunter related to his attempt to purchase a firearm in October 2018 without disclosing his drug use: making false statements when buying the gun; making false statements required to be kept by federal gun dealers; and possessing a gun while unlawfully using or addicted to a controlled substance.
The 54-year-old Hunter lied on the gun purchase form by stating he was not an unlawful drug user, despite being addicted to cocaine at the time.
These gun charges brought by Weiss are all connected to Hunter’s history of drug use, with Biden previously expressing pride in how Hunter has dealt with addiction issues and stating that Hunter has done nothing wrong. In Monday’s statement, Biden reiterated his admiration for his son’s “strength” during the drug recovery process.