It’s the first trial of a sitting president’s child, and it’s kicking off just five months before Election Day as Hunter Biden‘s father tries for reelection.
Republicans have long used Hunter as a point of attack against President Biden, trying to tie his foreign business affairs — which notably aren’t at issue in this case — to the incumbent and cast the Biden family as corrupt.
In just a few weeks, Trump and Biden will square off for their first presidential debate of the cycle, and some Democrats are reportedly worried that the trial of his only surviving son could take a toll on the president as the already-heated election cycle ramps up.
The proceedings could also prove a distraction as Biden works to tout his record along the campaign trail.
Prosecutors in the case say Hunter Biden unlawfully bought and possessed a gun in 2018 because he falsely stated on a form that he was not a drug user, despite being addicted to cocaine at the time, The Hill’s Ella Lee reports.
Hunter Biden has been open about his struggles with addiction, but pleaded not guilty to the three felony counts — and his attorneys have suggested that he didn’t consider himself to have a drug problem at the time that he filled out the form.
First Lady Jill Biden has been in attendance at the Delaware proceedings since their the opening day, as jury selection kicked off this week. Biden has been supportive of his son but is keeping his distance, committed to not commenting on pending federal cases.
“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.
Meanwhile, Trump’s allies have appeared eager to turn focus away from the former president’s legal troubles and onto Hunter Biden’s case.
Trump was found guilty on 34 counts of falsifying business records in New York last week, making him the first former president to notch a felony conviction. That doesn’t bar him from the White House race – and his camp has used it as a rallying cry to rake in donations and support, claiming the system is weaponized against him.
But others have pointed to Hunter Biden’s trial to counter Trump’s claims of a rigged Justice Department.
The president’s son is also set to stand trial on federal taxes charges in another case in California this September – five days before Trump and Biden are set to go toe-to-toe in a second presidential debate.
