America Should Appreciate How Joe Biden Handled His Son’s Trial
Or as the New York Times might put it: “Hunter’s Conviction Raises Questions About Biden’s Conduct.”
1. President Boy Scout
It is worth reminding people exactly how correctly Joe Biden handled the entire ordeal surrounding his son.
In 2018, President Trump’s Department of Justice began investigating Hunter Biden. The Department of Justice did not make Hunter Biden aware of this investigation until December 2020, one month after Joe Biden became president-elect.
The man in charge of the investigation was U.S. Attorney David Weiss, who had been appointed by President Trump.
Once Joe Biden was sworn in, he replaced most of the U.S. attorneys, as is the custom for new presidents. But President Biden requested that Weiss, who was in the middle of an active investigation of his son, remain on the job.
In June 2023, Hunter Biden reached a plea agreement with Weiss’s office for one set of charges. But when the presiding judge, Maryellen Noreika—who had also been appointed by Trump—reviewed the deal, she deferred it, deeming it insufficient.
In August 2023, as Weiss prepared to go to trial with the Hunter Biden cases, he requested special counsel status in order to protect the integrity of his prosecution. Attorney General Merrick Garland immediately acceded to this request and appointed Weiss as special counsel, giving him greater independence from the chain of command at DoJ.
On September 14, 2023, Weiss indicted Hunter in Delaware on three felony gun charges related to Hunter lying about drug use on his application to purchase a firearm.
On December 7, 2023, Weiss indicted Hunter in California on nine counts of tax-related felonies. This case is overseen by Judge Mark Scarsi, who was also appointed by President Trump.
Yesterday, Hunter Biden was convicted on all three counts in the Delaware firearms case and this was President Biden’s statement:
As I said last week, I am the president, but I am also a dad. Jill 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. 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.
President Biden traveled to Delaware to be with his son following the conviction.
So just to sum up: President Biden kept the Trump-appointed U.S. attorney who was investigating his son. Biden’s attorney general granted that U.S. attorney special counsel status when it was requested. The special counsel charged Hunter with 12 felonies in 2 separate cases. Each case was overseen by a Trump-appointed judge. There is no indication that President Biden ever spoke with the FBI, the attorney general, or any other member of the Department of Justice about these matters.
And President Biden’s reaction to his son’s conviction is to say that he loves his kid, accepts the outcome, and respects the judicial process.
Isn’t this everything we ask of a president? Isn’t this the most ethical and proper handling of the office imaginable? Is there one single thing that President Biden could have done better?
No.
And will the voting public give President Biden any credit for this?
You can discuss that in the comments. But my answer: No forking way.
Biden’s handling of the Hunter Biden case is like his handling of the economy, his passing of bipartisan legislation, and his leadership on the war in Ukraine: He has done everything we say we want from a president.
Yet no one seems to give him credit. For any of it.
So I’ll say it: President Biden’s commitment to the rule of law has been tested and he has been stalwart. His conduct in regards to the investigation, trial, and conviction of his son has been exemplary. He is a model to which future presidents should aspire.
Compare and contrast Biden with Donald Trump’s behavior both as president and defendant.
2. The Gangster
In 2017, the FBI was investigating the links between Trump advisers and the Russian government, as well as Trump crony Michael Flynn. Trump met with FBI director James Comey informally in January and told him that he expected “loyalty” before asking him to “let go” of the Flynn investigation. In March, Trump called Comey and asked him what the FBI could do to “lift the cloud” around his campaign’s connections to Russia.
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to The Bulwark to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.