Hunter Biden’s conviction for lying about his drug use on a handgun licence application will be a devastating personal blow for his father, Joe Biden.
The US president doubles as the patriarch of a tight-knit family that has seen its share of personal tragedy and trauma.
Now his surviving son has been found guilty of three federal crimes that carry a potentially lengthy prison term.
But Hunter’s verdict is unlikely to change how Americans vote in November’s election.
His father’s name will be on the ballot, not his. There’s no evidence connecting the president to his son’s offences. And there has been scant polling evidence that the public is following this trial closely.
After the verdict was announced, the president released a statement hinting at the dual obligations demanding his attention.
“I am the president, but I am also a dad,” he said.
He added that he continued to support his son and was proud of the man he is today.
At the start of the trial, Joe Biden said he wouldn’t comment on the proceedings, but his son’s courtroom drama has followed him for weeks, as he conducted his official duties and campaigned for re-election. Hunter’s yet-to-be determined punishment may be similarly distracting as the president prepares later this month for a pivotal presidential debate.
“This will, of course, be a personal distraction for the president, as it would be for any father,” says Michael LaRosa, who served as press secretary for First Lady Jill Biden during the first two years of the Biden presidency. “It’s not a distraction from his duties as president, but I’m sure it will take an emotional toll on the family.”
While in France for D-Day commemorations last week, President Biden said that he would not consider using his authority to pardon his son. And he added that he would accept the jury’s verdict – a contrast from Donald Trump’s rejection of his own conviction as rigged and corrupt.
The former president’s response to the Hunter Biden verdict was also markedly different. In a statement released by the campaign, Trump said the trial was “nothing more than a distraction” from what he asserted were more serious crimes committed by the Biden family.