President Joe Biden is facing an unprecedented situation as his son, Hunter Biden, prepares to stand trial in Delaware on felony gun charges brought by the president’s own Justice Department.
The trial, set to begin on June 3, reportedly has aides in the White House deeply concerned.
There is fear that the psychological impact on the elderly Biden, 81, could be severe. Hunter’s trial marks the first time in American history that a sitting president’s child has faced criminal prosecution while their parent is in office.
“He worries about Hunter every single day, from the moment he wakes up to the moment he goes to sleep,” an insider reportedly told Politico. “That will only pick up during a trial.”
The charges against Hunter Biden, which date back to a period when his father was serving as Vice President, have been a point of contention for the president’s political opponents for years.
Republicans have long accused the Biden family of corruption and have claimed that Hunter Biden’s alleged crimes were overlooked due to his father’s position of power.
Prosecutors say that Hunter Biden illegally owned a firearm while using drugs and lied on a form to purchase the weapon. He also faces separate criminal tax charges in California, which opponents argue should have been investigated and prosecuted much earlier. Both cases are being handled by special counsel David Weiss.
While White House aides insist they will have no involvement in the case, some fear it could have a significant psychological impact on the president during an already challenging political period. According to three advisers granted anonymity, President Biden and his family are worried about the strain the trial will place on him during the 2024 election.
The president frequently expresses his concern to his aides that his son may soon be serving prison time, Politico reported.
White House aides say they are cautious about broaching the subject directly with the president due to his strong emotional reactions.
Hunter Biden’s legal team, led by attorney Abbe Lowell, has pushed to postpone the trials. However, the judge overseeing the gun case denied the request for a delay.
The White House does not plan to have a “war room” ready for the trial, and the president’s outside allies who defended him during previous impeachment hearings appear content to wait and see how the proceedings unfold.
The trial’s impact on Biden’s mental health and political viability remains to be seen. Republican attacks related to his son have had limited effect on polls in the past.
However, some conservatives argue that the serious nature of the charges and the fact that they date back to Biden’s time as Vice President could damage the president’s reelection campaign at a critical time.
Especially if it takes the president off the campaign trial.