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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Gustaf Kilander

Hunter Biden has been found guilty on all gun counts. Far-right Republicans are still whining.

AFP via Getty Images

Far-right commentators couldn’t help but whine on social media moments after Hunter Biden became a convicted felon - despite asking for years for his conviction.

The jury unanimously convicted Biden Tuesday on all three of his felony counts in the gun case. The decision was historic and marked the first time the child of a sitting US president has been found guilty of a crime.

Rightwing commentators and allies of former president Donald Trump have argued that the justice system is biased against conservatives in general and Trump in particular. Trump was convicted of 34 felonies in New York state court for falsifying business records in an effort to influence the outcome of the 2016 election.

They unloaded after the conviction with complaints and conspiracy with one even saying it benefits Hunter’s dad: “This is all about protecting Joe Biden.”

First lady Jill Biden, Hunter Biden, son of U.S. President Joe Biden, joined by his wife Melissa Cohen Biden, leave the J. Caleb Boggs Federal Building on June 11, 2024 in Wilmington, Delaware (Getty Images)

“Hunter Biden guilty. Yawn. The true crimes of the Biden Crime Family remain untouched,” Charlie Kirk, the founder of the rightwing youth organization Turning Point USA wrote on X. “This is a fake trial trying to make the Justice system appear ‘balanced.’ Don’t fall for it.”

“This is a tiny consolation of justice. Really, it should be much more... The most egregious thing that Hunter Biden has done is money laundering to hide the selling out of his country to foreign interests by the promise of access to his father,” Buck Sexton said on his podcast with Clay Travis.

“Delaware jury just found Hunter Biden guilty on all three counts of lying on a federal firearms form. This doesn’t undo any of the treason Joe Biden and the Uniparty have committed,” Paul A. Szypula wrote on X.

Former Trump administration immigration official Stephen Miller added that the Justice Department “is running election interference for Joe Biden— that’s why DOJ did NOT charge Hunter with being an unregistered foreign agent (FARA) or any crime connected with foreign corruption. Why? Because all the evidence would lead back to JOE. DOJ is Joe’s election protection racket.”

There’s no evidence that the president has been involved in his son’s foreign business dealings, which has been the subject of the House Republicans floundering impeachment probe into the president.

“The gun charges are a giant misdirection. An easy op for DOJ to sell to a pliant media that is all too willing to be duped. Don’t be gaslit. This is all about protecting Joe Biden and only Joe Biden,” Miller claimed.

The chair of the House Oversight Committee James Comer said that the conviction of Hunter Biden was “a step toward accountability.”

But he added that until the Justice Department “investigates everyone involved in the Bidens’ corrupt influence peddling schemes it will be clear department officials continue to cover for the Big Guy, Joe Biden.”

Republican Florida Representative Matt Gaetz wrote on X that “The Hunter Biden gun conviction is kinda dumb tbh.”

“The difference here is they know Joe will pardon Hunter before sentencing,” former one-term Congressman Madison Cawthorn wrote on X. “They needed this guilty verdict so the left could rush to the media and pretend there’s not a double standard in our justice system. But Hunter will get probation, and Biden will try to throw Trump in prison. Just watch.”

The president said in a statement that “I will accept the outcome of this case and will continue to respect the judicial process as Hunter considers an appeal. Jill and I will always be there for Hunter and the rest of our family with our love and support. Nothing will ever change that.”

Kentucky Representative Thomas Massie said: “Hunter might deserve to be in jail for something, but purchasing a gun is not it. There are millions of marijuana users who own guns in this country, and none of them should be in jail for purchasing or possessing a firearm against current laws.”

Hunter Biden said in a statement: “I am more grateful today for the love and support I experienced this last week from Melissa, my family, my friends, and my community than I am disappointed by the outcome. Recovery is possible by the grace of God, and I am blessed to experience that gift one day at a time.”

“We are naturally disappointed by today’s verdict,” Abbe Lowell, Biden’s defense attorney, said. “We respect the jury process, and as we have done throughout this case, we will continue to vigorously pursue all the legal challenges available to Hunter.”

He added: “Through all he has been through in his recovery, including this trial, Hunter has felt grateful for and blessed by the love and support of his family.”

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