WILMINGTON, Delaware – In a dramatic turn of events at Hunter Biden’s criminal trial, Hallie Biden, widow of Beau Biden and former partner of Hunter, testified on Thursday that she discovered Hunter’s firearm and discarded it, fearing his escalating addiction. This revelation could significantly impact the prosecution’s argument that President Joe Biden’s son violated laws prohibiting drug users from possessing firearms.
Jurors were shown surveillance footage capturing Hallie Biden disposing of Hunter’s gun in a supermarket trash can. They also reviewed text messages in which she expressed deep concern for Hunter’s well-being. In one poignant message from October 2018, shortly after Hunter purchased the gun, Hallie urged, “Check yourself into a local rehab Hunter, this has all got to stop.”
Hunter Biden faces three felony charges, including failing to disclose his illegal drug use when purchasing the Colt Cobra revolver and unlawfully possessing the weapon for 11 days before Hallie intervened. He has pleaded not guilty.
This trial marks another historical moment following last week’s unprecedented criminal conviction of former President Donald Trump, the first U.S. president to be found guilty of a felony. Trump, vying against Joe Biden in the upcoming election, has claimed the prosecutions against him are politically driven. In contrast, Congressional Democrats argue that the Hunter Biden case demonstrates the independence of the justice system.
President Joe Biden stated in an ABC News interview that he would not pardon his son if convicted, affirming he would respect the trial’s outcome.
Throughout the trial, jurors have heard from various witnesses, including Hunter Biden’s ex-wife and a former girlfriend, about his extensive drug use. Despite the defense’s efforts to portray Hunter as having undergone treatment and achieving sobriety by the time of the gun purchase, the prosecution continues to build its case.
Hallie Biden provided detailed testimony about Hunter’s troubling behavior during the period he possessed the firearm. She recounted regularly cleaning Hunter’s truck in search of drugs, ultimately finding both drug paraphernalia and the gun. Her fear for the safety of Hunter and her children led her to dispose of the weapon hastily.
“I panicked and wanted to get rid of it,” Hallie admitted, detailing her relationship with Hunter, which began after Beau Biden’s death in 2015. She also revealed her own battle with addiction, which ended in August 2018.
During cross-examination, Hallie acknowledged she had not seen Hunter in the weeks surrounding the gun purchase and had no evidence of him using drugs the day she discarded the revolver. Her testimony concluded on Thursday afternoon.
Hunter Biden, claiming sobriety since 2019, has not disclosed whether he will testify, a decision fraught with risk as it subjects him to rigorous cross-examination.
If convicted on all counts, Hunter Biden could face up to 25 years in prison, although sentences are typically shorter, according to the U.S. Justice Department.
