‘Dark and gloomy’: White House breaks silence on Biden gun charge

Hunter Biden, the son of the US President, has spiralled into a pit of ‘despair’ as he faces potential prison time over felony indictments.

The White House broke its silence on felony firearm indictments brought against Hunter Biden, who insiders say has spiralled into a “dark and gloomy” mood over the threat of prison time.

After the US president said he would “get in real trouble” if he took questions following the bombshell charges, the White House said Joe Biden’s “head is with his family”.

“The president loves his son and is supporting his son,” said John Kirby, the White House National Security Council spokesman.

Hunter, whose business dealings are at the centre of his father’s impeachment battle, was charged with illegally buying a gun during a period when he admitted to heavy drug use.

“His son has gone through an awful lot and his parents are right there with him, and that’s not going to change,” Kirby added to the UK’s Telegraph. “He’s a father and he has been a son himself. That’s where his head is - with his family.

Hunter Biden faces the possibility of facing additional charges over taxes, acting as an unregistered foreign lobbyist, and allegations of influence peddling while his father was Vice President.

The charges came after a plea deal with prosecutors fell apart under scrutiny from a judge, who teased out broad immunity protections buried in the plea agreement to two minor tax charges.

The indictment left those closest to Hunter “deflated” after thinking the deal would eventually be successful.

Joe Biden’s “head is with his family”, according to the White House. Picture: AFP

“I got the sense that it’s just pretty dark and gloomy over there, they feel defeated,” CNN’s legal analyst Paula Reid of Biden camp insiders.

“Even when it first fell apart, they felt the judge would ultimately approve it,” the CNN senior legal affairs correspondent added.

She added that Hunter had not discussed the indictment with his father, although the pair have “remained in touch” throughout the case.

“He’s actually still very close to his dad, they talk frequently but they don’t talk about this,” she said, adding that the millions of dollars in legal debt has caused him “quite a bit of despair”.

“Hunter doesn’t want to burden his father with it.”

HUNTER BIDEN CHARGED

The US President’s son, Hunter Biden, was indicted on firearm offences just days after a formal impeachment inquiry was launched into Joe Biden.

Hunter, whose business dealings are at the centre of his father’s impeachment battle, was charged with illegally buying a gun during a period when he admitted to heavy drug use.

The charges were filed by Justice Department Special Counsel David Weiss, who has been investigating the younger Biden since 2018.

If convicted on all three charges, Biden could face 25 years in prison, though in practice the charges are seldom punished by any jail time.

Hunter Biden was an admitted drug user when he applied for a fire arm in Delaware, according to prosecutors. Picture: Supplied

In attesting that he was not an unlawful user of drugs at the time he bought the Colt Cobra revolver, Biden “knew that statement was false,” the Justice Department said.

It comes as the President said he was “not focused” on an impeachment inquiry announced just two days earlier.

“I get up every day … not focused on impeachment. I’ve got a job to do. I’ve got to deal with the issues that affect the American people every single solitary day,” Biden told attendees at a private campaign fundraiser.

The charges against his son come after a plea deal fell apart when a judge scrutinised broad immunity guarantees for other potential crimes, such as tax violations, acting as an unregistered foreign lobbyist, as well as possible crimes related to his business dealings in Ukraine, China and elsewhere.

Under his July deal, Biden avoided firearm offences in exchange for pleading guilty to two minor tax charges.

The 53-year-old was offered probation in addition to the taxes owed that he had already returned to the government.

Weiss suspended the felony gun charge if Biden completed “pre-trial diversion,” which often involves counselling or rehabilitation.

But in a dramatic July 26 hearing, the deal collapsed over the issue of whether Biden would have been immune from any other charges also investigated by Weiss.

House Republicans launched an impeachment inquiry into Joe Biden, which gives investigators power to subpoena the financial records of the Biden family, including Hunter. Picture: AFP

Former president Donald Trump, who is facing several federal indictments himself, noted the gun charge was the first brought by the Special Counsel for its lack of connection to the current president.

“This, the gun charge, is the only crime that Hunter Biden committed that does not implicate Crooked Joe Biden. One down, Eleven to go!,” Trump said on Truth social.

“The Democrats, with all of their horrible, very unfair, and mostly illegal Witch Hunts, have started a process that is very dangerous for our Country. They have opened the proverbial Pandora’s Box, and it is possible that the USA will never be the same again. SO SAD!!!

Those potential additional charges have already ensnared his father in a Congressional investigation launched by Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy this week.

The 80-year-old’s remarks were his first public comments on the impeachment inquiry, which gives Congressional investigators the power to subpoena the financial records of Biden family members.

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters that “the president didn’t do anything wrong”.

“This is a political stunt,” she said.

Republicans allege Joe Biden and his family reaped large sums for helping Ukranian oil company, Burisma.

With AFP