Hunter Biden has pleaded guilty to two tax crimes and admitted to the facts of a gun charge. This development comes just six weeks after dad President Biden adamantly defended his son, insisting that Hunter had “done nothing wrong” in an interview with MSNBC.
The president, at the time, expressed his unwavering trust in his son and stated that he made him proud.
However, with the latest turn of events, questions are being raised about the accuracy of those statements.
According to The Washington Post, Hunter reached a plea deal with Delaware U.S. Attorney David Weiss. Under this agreement, the younger Biden will plead guilty to misdemeanors related to his failure to pay approximately $100,000 in taxes for the years 2017 and 2018.
Surprisingly, he is not expected to face any jail time. Instead, prosecutors are recommending a two-year probationary period.
Additionally, Hunter will participate in a diversion program for his involvement in an illegal firearm purchase in 2018. This program offers the possibility of having the gun charge removed from his record upon successful completion.
Now that it has been established that Hunter did do something wrong, President Biden, responding to inquiries about his son’s plea deal, continues to express his support and pride in him.
"I'm very proud of my son," @POTUS says when asked by reporters for a reaction to Hunter Biden's plea deal pic.twitter.com/Tt8g9SEkUg
— Christian Datoc (@TocRadio) June 20, 2023
The White House also issued a statement on Tuesday saying, “The President and First Lady love their son and support him as he continues to rebuild his life.”
Hunter’s seemingly lenient plea deal looks shady to many Republicans, including former President Donald Trump, who likens the punishment to “a mere traffic ticket.”
“Wow! The corrupt Biden DOJ just cleared up hundreds of years of criminal liability by giving Hunter Biden a mere traffic ticket. Our system is BROKEN!” the presidential candidate said on his Truth Social.
Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) also criticized the plea deal, drawing a contrast between Hunter’s treatment and the charges brought against Trump in the classified documents case.
“So Hunter Biden gets a special plea deal, slap on the wrist – probably won’t do a day of time – while DOJ charges Trump as a spy and tries to put him in prison forever. Two standards of ‘justice,’” he tweeted.
According to House Committee on Oversight and Accountability Chairman James Comer (R-KY), the plea deal would not impede their pursuit of revealing “the full extent of President Biden’s involvement in the family’s schemes.”