Hunter Biden is first sitting US president’s son to be convicted of crime

Published

1 year ago

June 12, 2024

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Joe Biden’s son has been found guilty of illegally buying a gun after hiding his drug use.

Hunter Biden, 54, was convicted of three firearm charges in the first criminal prosecution of a sitting US president’s offspring.

Prosecutors said he lied on a form when buying a Colt Cobra revolver in October 2018 by stating he was not a drug user or addict, despite a problem with crack cocaine.

Hunter Biden latest: Trump campaign reacts to guilty verdict

Biden pleaded not guilty to felony charges that included lying about his addiction when he filled out a government screening document for the revolver and illegally possessing the weapon for 11 days.

First Lady Jill Biden was in the courtroom shortly after the verdicts – which came after the jury deliberated for about three hours – and was seen holding her stepson’s hand as they left.

In a statement following the verdicts, President Biden said he accepted the outcome of the case, as his son considers making an appeal.

The trial included testimony from Hunter Biden’s ex-wife and sister-in-law, who gave accounts of his spiralling addiction in the weeks before and after buying the gun.

Prosecutors also showed text messages, photos and bank records they said showed Biden was deep in the throes of addiction when he bought the gun.

Body blow to president that will supercharge Trump rhetoric

It is another moment without precedent for America. The son of a sitting president has been convicted on three felony counts in a federal court.

Beyond the seriousness of the crime itself, the trial has lifted a lid on the layered struggles and tragedies of one family. It could be any number of American families – except it is the nation’s first family.

At its heart, it is a story of addiction, loss and grief which led to a criminal conviction. But because it’s about the Bidens, it is also, inevitably, a story of politics and scandal.

The first family’s private turmoil has played out in a public courtroom because one member of the family lied to obtain a gun.

It is a case that almost never came to trial. A plea bargain had been arranged – Hunter Biden would plead guilty to the tax fraud and the gun charges would be dropped.

But the plan fell apart.

Just as Donald Trump had been told he wasn’t above the law, so too was Joe Biden’s son. A trial began and history was made when the sitting president’s son entered the courtroom.

For the full analysis, click here.

Biden’s lawyers sought to show he was not using drugs when he bought the gun and didn’t intend to deceive, as he didn’t consider himself a drug user at the time.

The defence called Biden’s daughter Naomi who testified her father seemed to be doing well when she saw him shortly before and after he bought the gun.

Biden did not testify at the trial, which was held in the family’s hometown of Wilmington in Delaware.

The sentencing guidelines for the gun-related charges are 15 to 21 months, but legal experts say defendants in similar cases often get shorter sentences.

They are also less likely to see jail time if they abide by the terms of pre-trial release.

The judge did not set a sentencing date but said the hearing would be expected to take place within 120 days – which could place it a month before the US presidential election on 5 November.

According to Sarah Fitzpatrick, senior investigations producer at Sky’s US partner network NBC News, Biden thanked each person by name in a room with his defence team.

Citing sources close to Biden, it was said to be an “incredible human moment”.

“It was an extraordinary moment that everyone around him in those minutes after the verdict will always remember,” one person said.

The most emotional moment, according to Fitzpatrick, was when Mr Biden’s voice almost cracked as he talked about how much he loves his mother and father and his wife Melissa.

Biden’s lawyers said they were “naturally disappointed” and will “continue to vigorously pursue all the legal challenges available”.

He also faces a trial in September on charges of violating tax law, with prosecutors alleging he failed to pay $1.4m (£1.1m) in taxes between 2016 and 2019 while spending millions on drugs, escorts and other high-ticket items.

He has pleaded not guilty to those charges.

Tuesday’s verdict followed another historic first after last month’s criminal conviction of Mr Trump, the first former US president to be found guilty of a crime.

Democrats have pointed to this case as evidence President Biden is not using the justice system for political ends, having said last week he would not pardon his son if convicted.

The US president said he and wife Jill love their son and they are proud of the man he is today.

“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,” he added.

“Jill and I will always be there for Hunter and the rest of our family with our love and support. Nothing will ever change that.”

Donald Trump described the trial as a “distraction” from the “real crimes of the Biden Crime Family, which has raked in tens of millions of dollars from China, Russia and Ukraine”.

There is no evidence that Joe Biden or any of his family members have received large sums of money from China, Russia or Ukraine or that he accepted any payment for government access.

An impeachment inquiry in the US House of Representatives has also not found any evidence tying the president to his son’s business dealings.

World

Zelenskyy demands ‘clear position’ from Trump on ending war

Published

48 seconds ago

September 16, 2025

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Zelenskyy demands 'clear position' from Trump on ending war

Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called for a “clear position” from Donald Trump to stop Vladimir Putin and end the war in Ukraine.

In an exclusive interview with Sky News’ lead world presenter Yalda Hakim, the Ukrainian president said the only way for the fighting to stop was for defined security guarantees to first be put in place.

And that, he said, could only come if Mr Trump was bold.

He told Sky News he hopes UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer would drill into the detail of securing Ukraine’s future with the president during his state visit to Britain this week.

He said: “I very much hope he (Starmer) will be able to have a very specific discussion on the security guarantees of the US for Ukraine.

“Before we end the war, I really want to have all the agreements in place. I want to… have a document that is supported by the US and all European partners. This is very important.

“To make this happen, we need a clear position of President Trump.”

‘Make Putin afraid’

Mr Zelenskyy also urged the US leader to take “strong personal steps” to “stop Putin”, after Mr Trump urged NATO allies to stop buying Russian oil and put tariffs on China to pressure Moscow.

“I believe that the US is strong enough to take decisions of their own,” he said. “I believe Donald Trump can give us air defence systems in quantity and US has enough.

“I’m sure the US can apply enough sanctions in order to hurt the Russian economy, plus Donald Trump has enough force to make Putin afraid of him.

“Europe has already introduced 18 sanctions packages against Russia. And all that’s lacking now is a strong sanctions package from the US.”

His comments came following criticism in his interview with Sky News – at the Presidential Palace in Kyiv – of the recent Trump-Putin summit in Alaska.

He said Mr Trump “gave a lot to Putin” and that “he should have paid more” for it.

“I believe, if it was a trilateral meeting [with Ukraine included], we would have some result,” he added.

Putin ‘testing NATO’, warns Zelenskyy

As news broke that British fighter jets were flying air defence missions over Poland after a Russian drone incursion, Hakim asked the Ukrainian leader what message he thought Putin was sending to Europeans.

“He’s testing NATO,” he said. “He wants to see what NATO is ready for, what they’re capable of, both diplomatically and politically, and how the local population will respond to this.”

“Also, in my opinion, the other message they are sending is, ‘don’t you dare to give Ukraine additional air defence systems, because you might need them yourself.'”

Bristling with frustration – Zelenskyy’s message is clear

Yalda Hakim

Lead world news presenter

@SkyYaldaHakim

Ukraine’s president has a very clear message for Trump – you alone have the power to stop Putin, and the time to act is now.

Meeting with me in Kyiv on the eve of the US president’s state visit to Britain, Zelenskyy bristled with frustration at the failure of the Western powers to ramp up pressure on the Kremlin, even as the Russians escalated their attacks on Ukraine.

Asked if the summit between Trump and Putin in Alaska has proven a mistake, he responded without hesitation that Putin is clearly not paying a price for his actions.

Zelenskyy believes Trump is reluctant to put pressure on Putin because it might jeopardise attempts to end the war.

But the Ukrainian leader argues this isn’t the way to handle the Russian president.

Zelenskyy also argued Trump’s emphasis on getting the Europeans to ratchet up economic pressure – foremost by stopping their purchases of Russian energy and tariffing other buyers like China and India – was understandable, but that the world’s sole superpower shouldn’t wait for others to act.

Trump has called on EU countries to end all Russian oil and gas purchases – and only then will he consider imposing sanctions on Russia.

Mr Trump arrives in the UK today for an unprecedented second state visit, following an invitation from King Charles.

He and First Lady Melania will stay at Windsor Castle and be treated to a flypast by the Red Arrows as well as UK and US F-35 military jets on the east lawn, and a special Beating Retreat military ceremony.

They will also visit Chequers, the prime minister’s official country residence in Buckinghamshire, though details of what they will discuss – and whether it will include the situation in Ukraine – have not been revealed.

World

Face-to-face with Zelenskyy, his frustration with the West is clear

Published

3 hours ago

September 16, 2025

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Face-to-face with Zelenskyy, his frustration with the West is clear

Ukraine’s president has a very clear message for Donald Trump – you alone have the power to stop Vladimir Putin, and the time to act is now.

Meeting with me in Kyiv on the eve of the US president’s state visit to Britain, Volodymyr Zelenskyy bristled with frustration at the failure of the Western powers to ramp up pressure on the Kremlin, even as the Russians escalated their attacks on Ukraine.

Asked if the summit between Trump and Putin in Alaska has proven a mistake, he responded without hesitation that Putin is clearly not paying a price for his actions.

“He should have received a setback in this war and stop. Instead, he received de-isolation,” he said.

“He definitely wants to trick the US. He is doing everything he can to avoid sanctions, to prevent the US and Trump from putting sanctions on him.”

Zelenskyy believes Trump is reluctant to put pressure on Putin because it might jeopardise attempts to end the war.

But the Ukrainian leader argues this isn’t the way to handle the Russian president: “He understands force. That’s his language. That’s the language he understands. He doesn’t speak many languages, but that’s the language of force he understands – just like Russian, you know, his mother tongue.”

Zelenskyy also argued Trump’s emphasis on getting the Europeans to ratchet up economic pressure – foremost by stopping their purchases of Russian energy, and by putting tariffs on other buyers like China and India – was understandable, but that the world’s superpower shouldn’t wait for others to act.

Trump has called on EU countries to end all Russian oil and gas purchases, and only then will he consider imposing sanctions on Russia.

“I think the US is strong enough on its own,” Zelenskyy said.

“They can make this happen quicker and all that’s lacking now is a strong sanctions package from the US.”

World

Putin is trying to trick Donald Trump into delaying sanctions, Volodymyr Zelenskyy tells Sky News

Published

6 hours ago

September 15, 2025

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Putin is trying to trick Donald Trump into delaying sanctions, Volodymyr Zelenskyy tells Sky News

Vladimir Putin is trying to trick Donald Trump and the US into delaying sanctions, Volodymyr Zelenskyy has told Sky News.

Speaking to Sky News’ Yalda Hakim at the Presidential Palace in Kyiv, the Ukrainian president was asked about the Russian and US leaders’ summit in Alaska last month – and whether he thought it was a mistake.

“I think it gave a lot to Putin,” he said, “and I believe, if it was a trilateral meeting, we would have some result.”

During their summit in Alaska, the Russian leader is said to have told Mr Trump he wants the eastern Donetsk and Luhansk regions – and would give up other Ukrainian territories held by his troops in exchange.

Since then, the US president has resumed threats of sanctions against Russia and called for NATO countries to stop buying Russian oil to end the war.

Russian strikes on Ukraine have also continued, and in the last few days there have been incursions into the airspaces of Poland and Romania, while a proposed summit between Mr Zelenskyy and Mr Putin has not materialised.

After being asked whether Mr Putin is trying to trick Mr Trump, Mr Zelenskyy agreed.

He added: “He’s doing everything he can to avoid sanctions, to prevent US and Trump from putting sanctions on him, and if you keep postponing applying sanctions any further, then the Russians will be better prepared.”

Mr Zelenskyy also told Hakim that Mr Putin “wanted to escape from political isolation” with the Alaska summit, and believes “he should have paid more” for the meeting with the US president.

“He should have received a setback in this war and stop,” he said. “But instead, he received de-isolation. He got the photos with President Trump.

“He received public dialogue, and I think this opens the doors for Putin into some other summits and formats, because that’s how it is, and we see that, we observe this, and I don’t think he paid anything for it.”

The Ukrainian president continued to say that Mr Putin “should pay, firstly, because he started the war, and secondly, because (he is) trying to find a way out of isolation”.

Mr Zelenskyy added that it is “very important not to give Mr Putin this space, because otherwise he won’t feel compelled that he has to stop the war”.

“He’s waging the war and everyone is trying to stop him by arguing, by asking him – but instead force should be used,” he said. “He understands force. That’s his language. That is the language he understands.

“He doesn’t speak many languages, but that’s the language of force he understands, just like Russian, his mother tongue – and we ask very much European and US countries to do that, to show that.

“Yes, they take some steps, such as sanctions, for example, but more needs to be done, quicker.”

Sky News will broadcast an extended interview in President Zelenskyy from 6am on Tuesday morning