Hunter Biden’s trial unfolds amidst personal testimonies and political scrutiny

Hunter Biden, son of President Joe Biden, has had a very personal turn in his trial as his ex-wife and previous girlfriend testified on his battles with drug addiction and revealed private information about his prior drug usage. Particularly in light of the approaching 2024 election and worries about its influence on the President, the trial—which centers on whether Hunter lied on a gun purchase form in 2018—has attracted notable interest.

Hunter’s ex-wife Kathleen Buhle testified that she came onto his drug usage in 2015 after seeing a crack pipe on their porch. She related approaching him about his addiction, which he admitted to. Hunter’s turbulent past—including his divorce from Buhle in 2016 and his removal from the Navy for cocaine use and infidelity—has come into clearer view thanks to the trial.

Prosecutors contend that proving Hunter’s state of mind at the time of the gun purchase depends critically on the evidence the trial presents—including pictures and testimony on his drug usage. Hunter faces three charges connected to the purchase: unlawfully having the pistol and lying about his drug usage on the application.

The trial has also included evidence from those who interacted with Hunter at the time of the gun purchase. Meeting Hunter at a strip club in 2017, Zoe Kestan testified about witnessing him take narcotics and carry drug paraphernalia. She did admit, however, that she never spoke with him throughout the gun transaction.

Apart from witness evidence, jurors have also been given passages from Hunter’s book, “Beautiful Things,” which follows his battle with addiction. Hunter’s defense contends that his mental condition at the time of book writing was different from when he bought the gun, implying he could have thought he had a drinking issue instead of a heroin addiction.

The trial follows the fall-through of a plea agreement with prosecutors and amid continuous Republican scrutiny aimed at tying President Biden to his son’s legal problems. Republicans in Congress have sought impeachment investigations and charged Hunter and James Biden, the President’s brother, of dishonesty. Evidence for the trial has come from Hunter’s personal correspondence, some gleaned from a laptop abandoned at a repair shop.

While President Biden is in Europe for commemoration activities, the first lady, Jill Biden, has visited the court in support of Hunter while the hearings persist. Hunter, a first-time offender, faces up to 25 years in jail should he be convicted; the result is yet unknown. The trial takes place in the larger political scene, with the court taking the stage and the 2024 election hovering about.