Biden says he won't pardon son Hunter
By AI HEPING in New York | chinadaily.com.cn | Updated: 2024-06-07 09:30
US President Joe Biden said Thursday he won't pardon his son, Hunter Biden, and would accept the outcome of his federal gun trial taking place in Delaware.
In an ABC-TV interview in Normandy, France, where he attended the 80th anniversary of D-Day, the president said "yes" if he would accept the outcome of Hunter Biden's trial.
The White House had said previously that Biden wouldn't pardon his son. It was the first time the president has said so publicly.
During the interview, Biden also said former president Donald Trump "got a fair trial" on his conviction of felony charges. "The jury spoke," he said and accused Trump of seeking to "undermine the rule of law".
Hunter Biden, 54, faces three felony counts over whether he lied on a federal gun form in 2018 that asked if he was addicted to drugs. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges brought by special counsel David Weiss.
Prosecutors in the trial at a federal courthouse in Wilmington have had several people testify about Hunter Biden's drug addiction, arguing that the evidence is necessary to show his state of mind when he bought the handgun and that he knowingly lied when he claimed not to be taking drugs when he bought it.
On Thursday, it was Hallie Biden, the widow of his brother, Beau, who had a brief romantic relationship with Hunter Biden after Beau Biden died in 2015, who testified about Hunter Biden's use of drugs.
She said that he bought and smoked crack cocaine in the 48 hours after he bought the gun in Delaware but didn't know if he was using drugs when he bought it. She also said she never saw him drinking in that month, including specifically from Oct 12-23 when he possessed the gun.
Hallie Biden said she found the revolver in his truck, and put it into a leather pouch, stuffed it into a shopping bag and tossed it in a trash can outside a market near her home.
She said that she considered hiding the gun but thought her children might find it, so she decided to throw it away.
"I realize it was a stupid idea now, but I was panicking," she said about finding the gun and ammunition in the vehicle's console in October 2018. "I didn't want him to hurt himself, and I didn't want my kids to find it and hurt themselves."
Hallie Biden said that Hunter Biden had introduced her to drugs. "It was a terrible experience that I went through, and I'm embarrassed and ashamed, and I regret that period of my life," she added.
She testified that she stopped using drugs in August 2018, but that Hunter Biden continued smoking crack.
Prosecutor Derek Hines told the judge the prosecution has two witnesses planned for Friday: a drug expert and an FBI chemist.
Abbe Lowell, Hunter Biden's attorney, said the defense has two or three witnesses before they will decide whether Hunter Biden himself will testify.
Almost all the events at issue in the trial happened in 2018, when Joe Biden was out of office.
First lady Jill Biden left France on Thursday where she was attending the D-Day anniversary events with the president and headed back to Wilmington. She is expected to attend Hunter Biden's trial Friday and then return to France for a state dinner on Saturday.
She has been in court every day this week except Thursday. Other family members have also attended the proceedings throughout the week to show support for Hunter Biden.
Agencies contributed to this story.