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President Joe Biden on Tuesday offered a starkly different reaction to the historic trial than former President Donald Trump, emphasizing his belief that just because you don’t like the verdict doesn’t mean the justice system is “rigged.”
After a Delaware jury convicted Hunter Biden of three felony counts of lying on gun purchase documents and illegally possessing a firearm, Biden reiterated his respect for the judicial process.
“I accept the outcome of this case and continue to respect the judicial process as Hunter considers his appeal,” Biden said in a statement released by the White House.
“It’s the first time in U.S. history that a sitting president’s child has been convicted of a felony. Given the details of the case, Biden’s legal team faced a tough challenge in obtaining an immediate acquittal. The appeals process could be much more favorable for the legal team.”
Biden also made clear he would not use his pardon power, one of the few virtually unquestioned presidential powers, while Trump is expected to use his influence over the Justice Department to block other federal cases against him.
In contrast to Biden, Trump repeatedly lashed out before, during and after his Manhattan criminal trial, which resulted in him becoming the first former president to be convicted of a felony. Trump repeatedly pushed the theory, without evidence, that Biden and the Justice Department were involved in the local lawsuit brought against him.
“This is a disgrace. This was a rigged trial by a corrupt judge with a vested interest,” Trump told reporters in a Manhattan courtroom after the jury found him guilty on all 34 charges.
After Trump’s sentencing, Biden said Americans do not only respect the rule of law when they agree with the jury’s verdict.
“[I’]”It’s reckless, dangerous and irresponsible to say there was fraud just because you don’t like the verdict,” Biden said. “Our justice system has been in place for nearly 250 years and is literally the cornerstone of America’s justice system. It should be respected and we should not allow anyone to destroy it. That’s all.”
That’s not the only difference between Trump and Biden’s responses.
The Biden family, led by First Lady Jill Biden, surrounded Hunter Biden nearly every day of the trial. In contrast, First Lady Melania Trump did not appear once in the Manhattan courtroom, despite Republican lawmakers and vice presidential candidates rallying to support Trump. Several of Trump’s adult children attended the trial.
President Trump and the Republican Party will need to tread carefully going forward.
President Trump and Republicans have long attacked Hunter Biden, whose son is at the center of House Republicans’ impeachment inquiry into President Biden. Despite years of investigation, Republicans have yet to present direct evidence that Biden engaged in an influence scheme while he was vice president.
But many Americans sympathize with Hunter Biden’s struggle with drug addiction, something Trump himself experienced when he directly attacked Biden’s son during a 2020 presidential debate.
“My son, my son, my son, like a lot of people, a lot of people that you know, he had a drug problem,” Biden said in response to Trump’s taunt about Hunter. “He’s overcome that, he’s worked through that, he’s worked through that. I’m proud of my son. I’m proud of my son.”
Biden’s defense of his son was one of the debate’s more prominent moments.
Biden plans to balance Hunter’s defense with his regular campaign activities ahead of his rematch with Trump. Just hours after the verdict, Biden was scheduled to give a speech calling for stricter gun control as scheduled. Hunter Biden’s sentence is scheduled to be handed down in mid-October. He technically could face up to 25 years in prison, but legal experts say he won’t serve any time in prison as a first offense. Hunter Biden faces separate federal tax charges in September.