‘Boundless love’: Joe Biden issues rare public statement of support for son Hunter

Washington: Joe Biden expressed pride and support for his troubled son, Hunter, who became the first child of a sitting president to face trial in yet another historic court case that could shake the 2024 election.

Days after Donald Trump became the first former American president to be criminally convicted, Biden’s 54-year-old son appeared in court in Delaware to fight multiple gun charges that could land him in jail.

Hunter Biden and wife Melissa Cohen Biden arrive at federal court.Credit: AP

In the ongoing saga involving the US president’s family, Hunter Biden stands accused of illegally owning a gun and lying about his drug use on a form he filled out to purchase the firearm in 2018.

He also faces a separate trial in September – two months before the November election – on more serious charges relating to his alleged failure to pay $US1.4 million in taxes at a time when he was addicted to cocaine and spending money on drugs, sex workers and luxury items.

But as jury selection began on Monday (Tuesday AEST) and after months of political attacks from Republicans over his son’s legal troubles, the senior Biden issued a rare public statement on the criminal trial.

“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 statement read.

US President Joe Biden and son Hunter leave St Edmond Catholic Church in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware on Saturday.Credit: AP

“Hunter’s resilience in the face of adversity and the strength he has brought to his recovery are inspiring to us. 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.”

The statement is emblematic of the delicate balancing act Democrats face when it comes to Hunter Biden, whose father is known to be fiercely protective of him, to the point that aides occasionally struggle to advise him politically.

Hunter is the only surviving son of Biden, who lost his first wife Neilia and their 15-month-old daughter, Naomi, in a car crash in 1972. Four decades later, his eldest son Beau, who survived the crash with Hunter and was often touted as a potential future president, died of brain cancer.

The trial could embarrass the Bidens by calling two of Hunter’s former partners and going through his now-famous laptop to air incriminating information.

One is his former wife, Kathleen Buhle, who is locked in a long legal battle with him over unpaid alimony; the other is Hallie Biden, the widow of Beau. She later dated Hunter for a period and is expected to testify about drugs and paraphernalia she found in his possession several times.

The timing of the trial makes it trickier for Democrats to capitalise on Trump’s conviction, after a jury in New York found him guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business records over a hush money scheme designed to sway the 2016 election.

Judge Juan Merchan has set Trump’s sentencing hearing for July 11, about two weeks after the first presidential debate and four days before the Republican National Committee.

While falsifying business records come with a maximum four years’ jail for each count (although New York caps this particular offence at a maximum of 20 years) the non-violent nature of Trump’s crimes and his lack of prior convictions means a probation, fine or some other lesser sentence is more likely.

First lady Jill Biden arrives at federal court on Monday.Credit: AP

Merchan also telegraphed his reluctance to put a former president and leading Republican candidate in jail during the trial, while scolding Trump for continuously violating a gag order designed to stop him from attacking witnesses.

“Mr Trump, it’s important you understand, the last thing I want to do is put you in jail. You are the former president of the United States and possibly the next president as well,” Merchan told him.

“The magnitude of this decision is not lost on me, but at the end of the day I have a job to do. So as much as I don’t want to impose a jail sanction … I want you to understand that I will if necessary and appropriate.”

Trump has nonetheless used his conviction to fundraise an estimated $US70 million ($105 million) since the verdict was announced, according to his daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, who is now the co-chair of the Republican National Convention.

Donald Trump speaks during a news conference at Trump Tower the day after a New York jury found him guilty.Credit: AP

And in an interview with Fox & Friends over the weekend, Trump warned that jailing him would “be tough for the public to take” adding that: “At a certain point, there’s a breaking point.”

The Biden-Harris campaign seized on the comments, saying that “yet again, diminished man, white-collar crook, and convicted felon Donald Trump suggested his supporters engage in violence”.

“This unhinged man cannot be our president,” said Democrats spokesman James Singer.

Hunter Biden’s trial comes after Republicans spent months investigating a so-far unproven claim that the president profited from his son’s foreign business deals, which included lucrative contracts in Ukraine and China.

They have also claimed there is a “two-tiered” legal system in the US – although it was the president’s Justice Department that appointed the special counsel who brought the charges against Hunter.

If convicted, the recovering addict could face a jail term of up to 25 years and $US750,000 in fines. However, as a non-violent offender, he is more likely to get a lesser sentence if found guilty.

First lady Jill Biden was at the courthouse to support Hunter. The trial is expected to last about two weeks.

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