The White House refused to say if President Joe Biden would commute his son Hunter Biden’s looming sentence after he was found guilty on three charges connected to a gun purchase.
During a Wednesday Air Force One briefing while the president was flying to Italy for the upcoming G7 summit, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre fielded questions about the verdict for the first time.
Previously, President Biden claimed that he wouldn’t pardon Hunter and would accept the trial’s outcome.
However, when pressed on commuting Hunter’s sentence, Jean-Pierre avoided giving a direct answer, instead referring to Biden’s earlier statement that he wouldn’t pardon his son.
“I haven’t spoken to the president about this since the verdict came out and, as we all know, the sentencing hasn’t even been scheduled yet,” she brushed of reporters.
“He was asked about a pardon, he was asked about the trial specifically and he answered it very clearly, very forthright,” she continued. “I don’t have anything beyond what the president said. He’s been very clear about this.”
Hunter’s sentencing, expected to happen around a month before the upcoming election, involves the three charges of lying about drug addiction while obtaining a firearm in 2018 that he was found guilty of on Tuesday.
The first son is looking at a steep prison sentence of up to 25 years behind bars and a $750,000 fine, though first-time offenders usually receive lighter sentences.
Following the verdict, President Biden made an unplanned trip to Wilmington, Delaware, and the White House canceled a scheduled press briefing.
Hunter and his brood met the president when he touched down, but Jean-Pierre refused to provide details on their interaction. President Biden stayed in Wilmington overnight, before jetting off to Italy.
When asked where the president was during the verdict announcement, Jean-Pierre declined to give specifics, stating, “This is about his family, this is about his son who he loves and obviously supports.”
Meanwhile, First Lady Jill Biden managed support the former crack addict by attending his trial in Wilmington, despite overlapping commitments with President Biden’s D-Day anniversary events in Normandy, France.
She juggled several flights between Joint Base Andrews, Wilmington, and Paris to be present for both the trial and official ceremonies.
Security protocols entail that the first lady flies with a full Secret Service detail, often using planes like the Boeing C-32 costing $13,816 per hour.
Dr. Jill’s travel for the events amounted to $345,400, with the donor-funded Democratic National Committee covering commercial fare costs, and taxpayers footing the rest.
“In accordance with relevant regulations utilized across administrations, the government is reimbursed the value of a first-class fare for these flights to Wilmington and back to Paris,” Jill Biden’s office explained to the Daily Mail.
Hunter still has a looming tax trial in California hanging over his head, but it has been rescheduled for September 5, after originally being set for later this month. The delay was granted by the judge following a defense request.
Facing nine felony and misdemeanor tax charges, Hunter is accused by federal prosecutors of evading $1.4 million in taxes over four years.
They allege he diverted these funds towards a lavish lifestyle, which he has admitted included drugs and alcohol. Hunter has since repaid the owed taxes.
Former Trump campaign adviser David Urban told CNN’s Erin Burnett that he would be thrilled if the ex-president would commit to pardoning Hunter if elected.
“Listen, what I’d like to see happen is I’d like to see President Trump come out with a statement saying, ‘Look, if Hunter Biden commits to a program of sobriety, inpatient or maybe outpatient, shows up, keeps his sobriety, I’ll pardon him,’” Urban who is a commentator for the network proposed.
“I’d love for President Trump to say that. It would be a magnanimous offer on his part, shows humanity and, and really flip the tables on the Democrats,” he noted.
Never forget that he’s proud of his son for extorting money in exchange for access to the VP at the time. Hunter is carrying on the tradition of the family business.
Like father, like son.