Donald Trump has been convicted. Now, Hunter Biden’s gun trial is set to start
- Trial of US President Joe Biden’s son Hunter on gun charges is set to begin on Monday
- Trial represents another highly politicised spectacle following Donald Trump’s criminal trial
Hunter Biden is set to become the first child of a sitting US president tried for crimes, just days after the historic guilty verdict against Donald Trump – two events that may inject fresh uncertainty into the 2024 election.
Jury selection begins Monday in the first of two cases Hunter Biden has tried to avoid for years, both to stay out of prison and spare his father, President Joe Biden, political and personal turmoil as he runs for a second term most likely against Trump.
The trial in Wilmington, Delaware, on three federal gun violations is expected to plumb the depths of the younger Biden’s drug use. During that period, prosecutors allege he lied about his substance abuse on a federal form to illegally purchase a firearm.
Special Counsel David Weiss has indicated he plans to raise painful events from the Biden family’s past related to Hunter’s conduct and events that involve the president. Still, White House officials largely view the trial as a private matter for Biden’s son tied to his personal behaviour from years ago.
The president, who is expected to travel to France during part of the trial, will be monitoring it primarily as a concerned parent who has supported his son’s recovery from addiction, according to a person familiar with his thinking.