Biden says he won't pardon son if convicted on gun charges

By Brett Rowland
The Center Square

President Joe Biden said Thursday that he wouldn't pardon his son, Hunter Biden, if he was convicted of gun charges. 

Hunter Biden, 54, has been in court this week on gun charges related to his use of crack cocaine. 

Special counsel David Weiss indicted Hunter Biden in September 2023 in federal court in Delaware on three counts tied to the possession of a gun while using drugs. Two of the counts involve allegations that he allegedly lied on a form attesting that he was not using illegal drugs when he bought a .38 Special Colt Cobra revolver in October 2018. The third count alleges that he possessed a firearm while using illegal drugs.

President Biden told ABC News that he would accept the verdict in his son's trial and would not seek to pardon Hunter Biden. The White House has repeatedly said Biden would not pardon his son if convicted of a crime.

In a statement Monday at the outset of Hunter Biden's gun trial, the president said he wouldn't comment on the trial. 

"Hunter's resilience in the face of adversity and the strength he has brought to his recovery are inspiring to us,” Biden said in a statement. “A lot of families have loved ones who have overcome addiction and know what we mean. As the President, I don’t and won’t comment on pending federal cases, but as a Dad, I have boundless love for my son, confidence in him, and respect for his strength."

Hunter Biden's previous plea deal on gun and tax fraud charges fell apart in July 2023 after last-minute disagreements over the degree to which Hunter Biden could face future charges for other alleged crimes still possibly under investigation. That plea deal revolved around alleged tax crimes and a single gun charge.

If convicted, Hunter Biden faces up to 10 years in prison on the first two counts and five years on the third count.

Note: This week, the widow of Hunter Biden’s brother, Beau, told jurors in his federal gun trial about the moment she found a revolver in his truck, describing how she 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.

The purchase of the Colt revolver by Hunter Biden — and Hallie Biden’s disposal of it — are the fulcrum of the case against him. Federal prosecutors say the president’s son was a heavy crack addict when he bought the gun. He’s been charged with three felonies: lying to a federally licensed gun dealer, making a false claim on the application by saying he was not a drug user and illegally having the gun.