President Joe Biden had an emotional reunion with his son on Tuesday, just hours after Hunter was found guilty of federal gun charges in a landmark case.
After he landed at the Delaware Air National Guard base around 4:40 p.m., Biden hugged his son on the tarmac before greeting his daughter-in-law, Melissa, and his grandchild, Beau. According to a pool report, Biden spoke with his family for several minutes before, at one point, bending over to kiss the top of his grandson’s head. The family reportedly lingered for a few more minutes before taking separate cars to the Biden family’s Delaware home.
The embrace was the first time the father and son were seen together since Hunter faced trial for lying on an October 2018 gun application about using drugs. While the president did not attend the trial, First Lady Jill Biden sat behind her stepson almost daily in the packed Delaware federal courtroom—as well as dozens of friends and family eager to show their support.
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“Jill and I love our son, and we are so proud of the man he is today,” Biden wrote in a Tuesday statement. “So many families who have had loved ones battle addiction understand the feeling of pride seeing someone you love come out the other side and be so strong and resilient in recovery.”
After Hunter’s conviction, where he now faces upwards of 25 years in prison and a $750,000 fine, his father’s press team announced that Biden would immediately helicopter to Delaware for the unplanned overnight visit with his family.
The verdict also came shortly before Biden spoke at a conference hosted by the Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund in D.C. While the president called for tough rules on gun purchases, he did not mention his son or his conviction.
“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,” Hunter said after the conviction. “Recovery is possible by the grace of God, and I am blessed to experience that gift one day at a time.”
