Veteran Democratic strategist David Axelrod predicted Hunter Biden’s conviction on federal gun charges won’t likely have a massive impact on voters’ opinion of President Biden, but warned the case could have a “toll” on the president personally.
Hunter Biden was convicted Tuesday on three felony counts of illegally purchasing and possessing a firearm, with prosecutors claiming Biden lied on paperwork when he purchased a handgun in 2018.
His weeklong trial focused significantly on his past addiction to crack cocaine, and featured testimony from multiple current and former Biden family members.
“What normal human being would not be torn apart to see his family’s anguish played out in a courtroom in front of the world?” Axelrod, a former top adviser to then-President Obama and a political commentator, told The Washington Post.
“And to see people you love having to testify, not just your son, but your daughters-in-law and your granddaughter, all reliving the most painful moments of their lives — who wouldn’t be shattered by that?”
First lady Jill Biden repeatedly attended Hunter Biden’s trial in Delaware ahead of the verdict Tuesday. President Biden is visiting Delaware on Tuesday evening, the White House announced after the verdict was revealed.
“I don’t think voters are going to hold Biden accountable for his son’s addiction or his son’s misbehavior,” Axelrod continued to the Post. “But I think the real question is the toll it takes on him and his family.”
The verdict has been met with mixed reactions from conservatives, with some pointing to it as a distraction from former President Trump’s conviction, which they see as unjust, and others highlighting it as part of broader GOP claims about the Biden family.
Hunter Biden faces a maximum of 25 years in prison and $750,000 in fines, although first-time offenders are rarely given the maximum penalty. The president said recently he would not pardon his son if convicted.
In California, Hunter Biden faces separate charges for allegedly failing to pay $1.4 million in taxes and filing false returns, with that trial set to begin in September.
