Hunter Biden's conviction undermines Trump's persecution claim
The fate of the rule of law in America and untarnished justice may hinge on the decision made by voters in November.
The United States could take two distinct paths under President Joe Biden or the presumed GOP nominee, Donald Trump, as demonstrated by their responses to their sons' legal trials and verdicts.
Biden made no attempts to interfere with his son Hunter's prosecution, whether through his executive authority or his office's media megaphone. His Justice Department secured a guilty verdict on Tuesday, which could result in jail time for the recovering addict and potentially damage his 2024 campaign. The president stated, "I will accept the outcome of this case and will continue to respect the judicial process as Hunter considers an appeal." His son also refrained from criticizing the judge or prosecutors after the jury found him guilty of lying on a federal background check form and possessing a gun while addicted to, or using, illegal drugs. He simply expressed gratitude for his family's love and support and his own cleanliness.
The Bidens' demeanor stands in stark contrast to Trump's reaction to his own trial and conviction roughly two weeks earlier in his hush money case. The ex-president launched attacks on witnesses, prosecutors, jurors, and the judge, asserting that "this was done by the Biden administration in order to wound or hurt a political opponent." He claimed that the decision was rigged, even though the Justice Department had no involvement in the case brought by the Manhattan district attorney. Following his conviction, Trump threatened to use presidential powers to punish his political opponents and manipulate the legal system to his advantage.
In an interview with TV psychologist Phil McGraw, Trump declared, "Sometimes revenge can be justified. I have to be honest. You know, sometimes it can." The former president also told Fox News that he "would have every right to go after them," referring to the Bidens.
Two Trump assertions debunked by Hunter Biden verdict
Despite Trump's claims throughout his trial in Manhattan, where he lives, that he couldn't receive a fair verdict due to the predominantly Democratic voting population of the city, he now faces a blue state jury that has convicted Biden's son. One juror told CNN that politics never factored into the deliberations. The jurors in Trump's trial have not yet commented, possibly out of fear of being targeted by Trump's intimidation tactics.
If Hunter Biden had been acquitted, Republicans might have argued that a biased jury in a state where everyone appears to be acquainted with the first family had proven their point. However, the guilty verdict invalidated this argument.
Joe Biden promised to revive the independence of the Justice Department following Trump's repeated attempts to utilize its legal and investigative capabilities as a personal law firm during his tenure. However, the former president has shown no hesitation about returning to the White House and employing the Justice Department to his advantage, disregarding its mission statement of enforcing the law with "independence and integrity." Trump has already vowed to prosecute Biden and his family and to eradicate what he calls the "Deep State." Several outside groups have prepared plans to aid him.
The Hunter Biden verdict also undermined the primary premise underlying Trump's multiple legal defenses, several civil cases, and his entire presidential campaign: the false claim that he is a victim of a mechanism legal system triggered by a Justice Department that exclusively targets Republicans.
Former Justice Department official and federal prosecutor Michael Zeldin commented on CNN Max, "So much for the weaponization of the Justice Department to go after just the enemies of the other side. This verdict testifies to the fact that the Justice Department under (Attorney General Merrick) Garland is striving to maintain its neutrality by bringing people to trial who it deems deserving of prosecution."
The idea of the Justice Department's impartiality was reinforced by post-trial remarks from David Weiss, the Trump-appointed US attorney in Delaware, who was promoted to special counsel to avoid accusations of political bias under Garland. Weiss thanked the attorney general for allowing him to act independently. He concluded by stating, "No one in this country is above the law. Everyone must be accountable for their actions, even this defendant," further reinforcing the justice system's neutrality. However, Weiss added, "Hunter Biden should be no more accountable than any other citizen convicted of this same conduct."
Former Republican Congressman Ken Buck shared his view with CNN's Erin Burnett that Biden handled the situation involving his son's trial and conviction effectively. "He did a great job in staying above the fray and recognizing that his Justice Department was in a difficult position. People can look at this case and comprehend that it was carried out in an impartial and fair manner."
Julian Zelizer, a professor at Princeton University and CNN political analyst, commented on the recent legal issues involving Trump and Hunter Biden. He explained that Joe Biden's response is significantly different from Trump's, as Biden is not using his presidential power to issue a pardon and has trust in the legal system. Zelizer went on to ask the question, "What kind of response do voters want, and what type of person do they want in the White House come January 2025?"
The idea that the Justice Department is only targeting Republicans is not supported by the case of Hunter Biden, who is facing a gun charge and has an upcoming tax trial. Democratic Sen. Robert Menendez is also on trial for bribery and corruption. In May, the Justice Department indicted Rep. Henry Cuellar of Texas, along with his wife, for allegedly accepting around $600,000 from Azerbaijan's state-owned oil firm and a Mexican bank in exchange for official acts as a member of Congress. Both Democrats have maintained their innocence.
Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin pointed out the contrast between Trump and Biden, saying, "The Republicans are attacking our entire system of justice and the rule of law because they don't like the way one case came out. Whereas the son of the president of the United States is prosecuted, I don't hear a single Democrat crying foul."
However, it's clear that the truth often has little impact on GOP perceptions. The revelation of unfavorable facts often doesn't penetrate the echo chamber that dominates Republican politics and conservative media. So, despite the failure of the Republican-led attempts to find evidence against the Bidens, they've continued to spread falsehoods and conspiracy theories.
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer called the Delaware trial a "step toward accountability" but claimed that Justice Department officials were still "covering for Joe Biden." Comer continually made allegations of the Bidens profiting from Hunter's ethically dubious business activities in Ukraine and China while Joe Biden was vice president.
House Speaker Mike Johnson echoed Comer's sentiments, vowing to "continue to demand accountability for the corrupt business dealings of the Biden family." The Louisiana Republican even defended Trump, who recently lost a civil case for committing massive insurance and banking fraud.
Stephen Miller, Trump's former White House domestic policy adviser, took this a step further, claiming the Justice Department had actually favored Hunter Biden by not charging him with 50 felonies for foreign influence peddling. Miller demanded that Hunter should "tell them his only way out of life in prison is to testify against the BIG GUY," referring to Joe Biden.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a fervent supporter of Trump, offered a bizarre explanation for the verdict, claiming it was an elaborate plot. "Hunter Biden just became the Deep State's sacrificial lamb to show that Justice is 'balanced' while the other Biden crimes remain ignored," she said.
Read also:
- Despite Trump's assertion that political bias in the Justice Department could lead to an unfair trial, his son-in-law Jared Kushner's brother, Joshua Kushner, has also faced legal charges, demonstrating that the system is not exclusively targeting Republicans.
- The guilty verdict for Hunter Biden further discredits Trump's claim that only Republicans are victims of a biased legal system, as Biden himself is not intervening in his son's case, allowing the justice process to unfold independently.
