Soon after Hunter Biden was convicted on three gun-related federal felonies, President Joe Biden was among those who reacted to the verdict.
Last week, President Biden said that he would not pardon his son if convicted.
“As I said last week, 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," President Biden said. "So many families who have had loved ones battle addiction understand the feeling of pride seeing someone you love come out the other side and be so strong and resilient in recovery.
"As I also said last week, I will accept the outcome of this case and will continue to respect the judicial process as Hunter considers an appeal. Jill and I will always be there for Hunter and the rest of our family with our love and support. Nothing will ever change that.”
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Hunter Biden expressed his disappointment in the ruling.
“I am more grateful today for the love and support I experienced this last week from (wife) Melissa, my family, my friends, and my community than I am disappointed by the outcome. Recovery is possible by the grace of God, and I am blessed to experience that gift one day at a time," he said.
President Biden's only surviving son has faced intense scrutiny in recent years, both for his business dealings and his struggles with addiction. Republicans have called Hunter Biden's finances complex and claimed he used "corporate bank accounts of third-party associates to receive wires from foreign companies and foreign nationals." They say Biden used his dad's name and position of trust to gain leverage while Joe Biden served as vice president.
Biden's battles with addiction have also come under scrutiny, which ultimately is what led to his conviction. The three criminal counts were tied to him lying on gun purchasing forms as he claimed in 2018 that he was not addicted to drugs.
Biden pleaded not guilty to two tax crimes in 2023, but that plea agreement with prosecutors unraveled when the judge raised concerns about the deal.
"Hunter Biden’s sweetheart plea deal was smoked out after scrutiny by a federal judge," said House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer. "Today’s verdict is a step toward accountability but until the Department of Justice investigates everyone involved in the Bidens’ corrupt influence peddling schemes that generated over $18 million in foreign payments to the Biden family, it will be clear department officials continue to cover for the Big Guy, Joe Biden."
Former President Donald Trump's 2024 campaign reacted to the conviction.
"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. Crooked Joe Biden’s reign over the Biden Family Criminal Empire is all coming to an end on November 5th, and never again will a Biden sell government access for personal profit," the campaign said.
Special counsel David Weiss, the DOJ-appointed prosecutor assigned to handle Biden's case, spoke at a Tuesday afternoon news conference.
"While there has been much testimony about the defendant's abuse of drugs and alcohol, ultimately, this case was not just about addiction, a disease that haunts families across the United States, including Hunter Biden's family," he said. "This case was about the illegal choices the defendant made while in the throes of addiction, his choice to lie on a government form when he bought a gun and the choice to then possess that gun."
