President Joe Biden flew Sunday to Wilmington, Del., ahead of his son Hunter’s trial, which began on Monday.
The first family spent the weekend in Rehoboth Beach, Del., before traveling to Wilmington on Sunday. First lady Jill Biden on Monday appeared in the front row of the courtroom in Wilmington, where jury selection has begun for Hunter Biden's federal gun trial.
Special counsel David Weiss has charged the first son with possessing a firearm while he was addicted to crack and lying about his addiction on a federal firearms application. Hunter Biden pleaded not guilty to the charges following the collapse of a plea deal that would have allowed him to avoid felony prosecution.
President Biden issued a statement ahead of the trial, in which he expressed support for his son. "I am the President, but I am also a Dad. Jill and I love our son, and we are so proud of the man he is today," Biden wrote. "As the President, I don’t and won’t comment on pending federal cases, but as a Dad, I have boundless love for my son, confidence in him, and respect for his strength."
Also present at the trial were several other members of the Biden family, as well as Hunter’s longtime patron, Kevin Morris, who has reportedly run out of money after funding Hunter Biden’s legal expenses for more than four years.
President Biden is expected to leave for a fundraiser in New York on Monday afternoon, before traveling to Paris the following day.