Source: Kevin Dietsch / Getty
Hunter Biden’s conviction on felony charges in Delaware may have dismantled a major Republican conspiracy theory in the process.
On Tuesday (June 11), a jury in a Delaware court found Hunter Biden guilty on three felony counts related to him purchasing a firearm in 2018 while allegedly addicted to drugs. It marks the first time the offspring of a sitting president was found guilty in a criminal trial. The verdict, however, might have taken the steam out of one of the Republican Party’s conspiracy theories that they’ve pushed to hurt President Joe Biden’s chances of reelection – that he’s “weaponized” the Department of Justice to protect his family and persecute former President Donald Trump.
The line of thought, which was the focus of a House of Representatives sub-committee hearing led by Republicans last week, wasn’t only shared by the fringe element but peddled consistently on conservative media and on Fox News as they taunted, “Where’s Hunter?” But as the trial moved on towards its conclusion, President Biden’s assertion that he would not only stand by the verdict but make no moves to pardon Hunter Biden if convicted loomed large. One unnamed juror told ABC News after the verdict was announced that “politics never came into play” as they deliberated and that the prosecution achieved their burden of proof: “the verdict absolutely was not politically motivated.”
“I don’t think the verdict will materially impact the race,” said Republican strategist Rob Stutzman about the potential to impact the upcoming presidential election. “It does mute GOP claims that the Biden DOJ is weaponized against Trump and MAGA, but the election isn’t turning on that question.” The conviction comes less than two weeks after Donald Trump was found guilty on 34 counts related to fraud in the “hush money” trial where he was accused of hiding payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels before the 2016 presidential election.
Biden campaign fundraiser John Morgan remarked that “only a person with no heart would not be sympathetic” to Hunter Biden’s issues with addiction and recovery. “And [Biden] isn’t saying the trial is rigged. The contrast between the two trials will be a huge boost for the president,” he asserted. Others note that Trump’s conviction might compel voters not to pull for him instead of Hunter Biden’s situation. “The Trump verdict I think could force some lean conservative people to stay home. No poll can measure that. No one is staying home because of Hunter,” stated Democratic strategist Peter Giangreco.
