US President Joe Biden said he would not pardon Hunter’s son after his gun conviction

Joe Biden said he would abide by a jury’s decision after his son Hunter was convicted of gun crimes.

Savelletri, Italy:

US President Joe Biden said on Thursday he would not pardon his son Hunter or commute any sentence following Hunter’s conviction on charges of lying about his drug addiction while buying a handgun.

“No,” Biden replied when reporters at a press conference at the G7 summit in Italy asked if he would commute any sentence the 54-year-old Hunter faces.

“I am extremely proud of my son Hunter. He overcame addiction and is one of the smartest and most decent people I know,” Biden said.

“I said I would abide by the jury’s decision. I’ll do it. I won’t forgive him,” he said.

In a historic first criminal trial involving the child of a sitting US president, a jury on Tuesday found Hunter Biden guilty of three felonies stemming from his purchase of a handgun in 2018 while he was addicted to crack cocaine.

He faces up to 25 years in prison, although as a first-time offender, prison time is unlikely. No date has been set for the verdict, but it is expected to happen within the next few months.

In a statement after the verdict, Biden said he loved his only living son – his oldest son Beau died of brain cancer in 2015 – and would respect the jury’s decision.

However, his comments in Italy on Thursday were his first public statement on the verdict.

The day before leaving for Italy, Biden, 81, changed his schedule and flew to Wilmington, Delaware, his hometown where the trial was held.

Hunter Biden waited on the tarmac as Marine One landed and received a warm hug from his father before they drove away in the convoy.

The verdict came as Biden faces a tight re-election battle with Donald Trump, who recently became the first former president to be convicted as a felon.

A New York jury found Trump guilty of violating election law by lying about secret payments to a porn star.

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