Former President Joe Biden "repeatedly" offered to testify privately in his son Hunter's trial on three felony gun charges last year, even as he publicly expressed support from a distance, according to a new book.
In "Original Sin: President Biden's Decline, Its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again," journalists Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson alleged Hunter's trial consumed his father's administration as he geared up for re-election in June 2024, Axios reported.
"The weekend before the trial began, Biden again offered to testify or come to court, despite his packed schedule," the authors wrote.
Ahead of an international trip to France, then-President Biden told the media he would not comment on Hunter's trial. However, behind closed doors, he again offered to testify.
Although Biden's testimony about his son's state of mind when he purchased the gun in 2018, leading to his subsequent arrest, could have supported the defense, Hunter's legal team ultimately declined the president's offer. They concluded it was too risky and could potentially backfire.
The book's authors noted that "a sitting president taking the witness stand in a case involving his own son" would have only intensified the media spectacle already surrounding the trial.
Hunter was ultimately found guilty on all three charges, which carry a maximum sentence of up to 25 years in prison. Despite previously stating he would not issue a pardon, former President Biden granted one to Hunter in December 2024.
On his final day in office, Biden also issued pardons for his brothers, Francis and James; his sister and her husband; and his sister-in-law.
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