President Joe Biden has released a statement following the guilty verdict for his son Hunter Biden in his illegal gun trial. The president showed support for his son, after he was found guilty of three felony gun charges on Tuesday, June 11. While Joe continued to show love and support for his son, he didn’t appear to signal that he would grant him a pardon.
After Hunter was found guilty of the three charges, the president reiterated his love and support for his son. “As I said last week, I am the president, but I am also a dad,” he said, per CBS News. “[First Lady] Jill [Biden] and I love our son, and we are so proud of the man he is today. 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.”
Joe continued and said that he will not interfere with the legal process, but he will continue to show support for his son. “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,” he said.
The president’s statement echoes sentiments from an earlier statement about the trial, which marked the first time that a sitting president’s child has been found guilty of a felony. Hunter was found guilty on two counts of lying on a form which asked if he was using illegal drugs when he bought a revolver in October 2018. The third charge was for possessing a firearm while using a narcotic. He faces a maximum sentence of up to 25 years, but it is unlikely that he’ll be sentenced to prison time. The verdict comes nearly two weeks after former President Donald Trump was found guilty on 34 felony counts in relation to his hush money trial.