Hunter Biden Pleads Not Guilty to Federal Firearm Charges

Hunter Biden, son of President Joe Biden, pleaded not guilty during his arraignment on firearm-related charges on Tuesday.

For Context: The president’s son was indicted last month by Special Counsel David Weiss for allegedly lying on a government form and possessing a firearm while being an active user of illegal drugs. The charges came months after Biden agreed to a plea deal with federal prosecutors over the firearm charges and tax charges. Under that plea deal, Biden would plead guilty to two tax charges and participate in a pretrial diversion agreement for the firearm charges. The deal fell apart soon after, following scrutiny by a judge regarding the terms of the agreement. 

Details: Per the terms of his release, Biden is required to seek employment, inform authorities of international travel plans, submit to random drug tests, participate in a substance abuse counseling program, and not possess a firearm or consume alcohol or drugs. Biden’s lawyer plans to file a motion to dismiss the case, challenging the constitutionality of the statute and arguing that the pretrial diversion agreement pertaining to the gun charges in the collapsed plea deal with prosecutors is still in place. 

How the Media Covered It: The arraignment was a top story in outlets across the spectrum on Tuesday. Coverage from Reuters (Center bias) highlighted the “historic first” of a sitting president’s child facing a criminal trial and stated that Hunter Biden has been the target of “unrelenting attacks by Republicans, led by former President Trump.”