In the aftermath of a Manhattan jury's conviction of Donald Trump on 34 felony counts, the response from President Joe Biden and the Democratic leadership has been notably subdued.
The initial reaction from the president's campaign was succinct, emphasizing the principle that "no one is above the law."
This sentiment was echoed by President Biden himself in a brief address from the White House, where he underscored the reaffirmation of the American principle that no individual is beyond the reach of the law.
Despite calls from within the Democratic Party to make Trump's convictions a central theme of the campaign, the party's leadership has largely adhered to a stance of solemn declarations about the importance of the rule of law.
Biden's Toned Down Response to Trump's Conviction
The Washington Post insightfully reveals that the strategic approach adopted by the Biden campaign is to give only minimal attention to Trump's legal predicaments in the forthcoming months.
Instead, there is a swift shift towards scrutinising the presumptive Republican nominee's track record and policy proposals.
The New Republic further elaborates that the Biden campaign has deliberately chosen not to invest in paid advertisements related to the verdict.
According to reports from Semafor, several Democrats in close proximity to the White House are of the opinion that the electorate is already well-aware of Trump's character.
They argue that President Biden would be more effectively served by concentrating on the issues that directly impact the daily lives of Americans.
During the 2020 presidential campaign, despite the escalating death toll from Covid-19 in the United States (US) compared to other peer nations, Biden chose not to centre his campaign on Trump's disastrous management of the pandemic.
He had expressed:
“If you entrust me with the presidency, I will draw on the best of us, not the worst.”
As the head of the executive branch, Biden has exercised a degree of restraint, although the upcoming presidential debates will undoubtedly provide him with a significant platform to highlight Trump's legal and ethical shortcomings.
In states with a strong or leaning Republican base, such as Montana, where Senator Jon Tester is seeking re-election, political discourse may necessitate a more nuanced approach.
However, for the majority of Democratic candidates, there should be little hesitation in leveraging the recent guilty verdict against Trump, or any civil judgments against him and his businesses, in their campaigns.
The rationale for avoiding such topics is weak, especially given that Republicans are likely to accuse Biden and others of orchestrating the charges regardless of their stance.
In the absence of clear public sentiment regarding the verdict, there is no compelling reason to assume that undecided voters will automatically perceive it as politically motivated.
At a recent press conference, when asked about his rival's conviction, he merely smiled without saying anything.
Transcending the realm of political strategy, to underemphasize the fact that your opponent in the upcoming election is a convicted felon implies a lack of faith in the judgment of the American populace.
As Osita Nwanevu of The Guardian observed, no entity has been more effective in holding Trump accountable than the everyday citizens of America.
It is possible that a majority or a significant portion of Americans may ultimately be comfortable with the prospect of a convicted criminal residing in the White House.
However, it is incumbent upon President Biden and the Democratic leadership to actively foster and engage in this critical debate, rather than passively hoping that others will undertake this responsibility on their behalf.
Hunter Biden: First Child of a Sitting President to be a Criminal Defendant
There seem to be a lot of firsts in the upcoming elections: from Trump being the first president of the US, former, or current, to be convicted, to the younger Biden being the first child of a sitting president to be a criminal defendant.
Hunter Biden, the son of President Joe Biden, is currently embroiled in a landmark legal proceeding that could have ramifications for the president's re-election bid.
This is a historic moment in American politics, as it marks the first instance where the child of an incumbent president is standing trial.
The charges against Hunter Biden, who is 54 years old, were brought forth by the Justice Department under the purview of David Weiss, the special counsel tasked with overseeing the investigations into Hunter Biden.
The indictment alleges that Hunter Biden unlawfully purchased and possessed a firearm while being an abuser or addict of drugs, contravening federal law.
Despite acknowledging his battles with alcohol and crack cocaine addiction, Hunter Biden has pleaded not guilty to the three charges levelled against him.
The trial, which is anticipated to span one to two weeks, is being held in Wilmington, Delaware.
In the event of a guilty verdict on all three federal counts, Hunter Biden could be sentenced to up to 25 years in prison.
Given the timing of the trial coinciding with his father's campaign for re-election, it is expected that prosecutors will delve into the personal and potentially sensitive details of Hunter Biden's struggle with crack cocaine addiction.
These revelations could potentially be exploited by the president's political adversaries.
President Biden, while maintaining a stance of not commenting on the ongoing court case, expressed in a statement on the day the trial commenced his "boundless love" and "confidence" in his son.
The president said:
"Hunter's resilience in the face of adversity and the strength he has brought to his recovery are inspiring to us."
Hunter Biden's Charges
In the legal proceedings that have captured national attention, Hunter Biden is confronting three federal charges.
These charges are directly linked to his acquisition of a revolver from a Delaware gun store in October 2018, which he retained for approximately 11 days.
During this period, Hunter Biden has acknowledged being in the midst of a "full-blown addiction" to crack cocaine.
The charges include two counts of making false statements and one count of illegal possession of a handgun by a drug user.
The allegations of false statements pertain to his purported misrepresentations about his drug use on a federal form required for the purchase of the firearm.
Specifically, prosecutors contend that Hunter Biden untruthfully asserted that he was "not an unlawful user of and addicted to any stimulant narcotic drug" when he bought a Colt Cobra Special revolver.
The third charge pertains to his alleged possession of the firearm while being a drug user.
The investigation into these matters was precipitated by the discovery of the discarded gun at a grocery store in Greenville, Delaware, which subsequently led authorities to scrutinise the forms submitted by Hunter Biden during the firearm purchase process.
A pivotal piece of evidence in the ongoing legal saga is the content from Hunter Biden's laptop, which has been a source of intense political scrutiny for years.
Special Counsel David Weiss has affirmed the authenticity of the material, stating that it is "real" and will play a crucial role in his case.
This assertion counters previous claims made by the president's son that the laptop could be counterfeit or part of a Russian disinformation campaign.
Republican officials and right-leaning media outlets have capitalised on the embarrassing emails and explicit images found on the laptop to criticise Hunter Biden, while his legal team has maintained that the files were tampered with and has taken legal action against the repair shop owner who initially made the contents public.
The right has celebrated Weiss's decision to utilise this evidence, although he has not substantiated their broader anti-Biden allegations.
The New York Post, the conservative tabloid that first published messages from the laptop in 2020, has declared a sense of vindication on its front page.
In a recent ruling, Judge Noreika has allowed Hunter Biden the opportunity to challenge the authenticity of any messages presented during the trial.
Some of the texts are deeply personal, revealing painful discussions about Hunter Biden's sobriety with his loved ones, while others depict his encounters with drug dealers, including some disturbingly close to the Wilmington federal courthouse.
In a text to Hallie Biden in November 2018, Hunter Biden described himself as "a liar and a thief and a blamer and a user and... an addict unlike beyond and above all other addicts," according to Weiss's filings.
The prosecution intends to use the laptop evidence specifically to support their contention that Hunter Biden was using illegal drugs at the time he purchased the firearm in 2018.
It is important to note that Weiss has not commented on, nor is the case concerned with, the unproven Republican allegations that emails from the laptop implicate Hunter Biden and his father in corrupt foreign business dealings.
The charges of making false statements that Hunter Biden is facing each carry a potential maximum sentence of up to 10 years, with the third charge of illegal possession of a handgun by a drug user warranting up to five years in prison.
Consequently, if convicted on all counts, Hunter Biden could theoretically face up to 25 years of incarceration.
However, it is noteworthy that the actual sentences for federal offenses are often less severe than the statutory maximum penalties.
Furthermore, given that Hunter Biden has no prior criminal record, there is a likelihood that, as a first-time offender, he could receive a significantly reduced sentence compared to the maximum possible term.
The determination of his punishment rests solely with Judge Noreika.
It is also within President Joe Biden's authority to issue a pardon for his son at any point, or to commute the sentence should a conviction occur, thereby mitigating the imposed penalty.
Despite the White House's explicit dismissal of the possibility of a pardon, there is a chance that the political considerations could shift post the November election.
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