Hunter Biden, joined by his wife, Melissa Cohen Biden, arrives to the J. Caleb Boggs Federal Building on June 3, 2024, in Wilmington, Delaware. | Ryan Collerd/AFP via Getty ImagesOver the past few weeks, President Joe Biden has grown consumed by worries over the trial of Hunter Biden. He’s called family members more regularly to check on his son’s mood. The topic of the criminal case dominated the family gatherings in Delaware over the weekend.
But Hunter Biden’s controversies have also been measured by the immense emotional strain they have placed on the president. The specter of the testimony from Kathleen Buhle and Hallie Biden has been a challenge for the president, who remains a patriarchal presence for his family. That’s not just because the two women are expected to speak about Hunter’s sordid past, but because of the timing of their testimony, coming just a few days after what is annually the most difficult day of the president’s year: the anniversary of Beau Biden’s death.
“There is always some risk, no matter how small, for the trial to impact the president if it ends up in the headlines every day,” said Basil Smikle, a veteran Democratic strategist. “But what helps him is that his son has shown contrition while Donald Trump has not. That split screen for the voter is very important.”
In the days prior to his departure for Europe, Biden has spent a substantial amount of time in Delaware. He was secluded for several days with his family for their yearly remembrances of Beau Biden. The president and family members, including Hunter, paid a visit Thursday to Beau’s grave at the family’s Delaware church.Biden weighs in on Trump verdict: ‘Folks’…. We’re in ‘uncharted territory’Beau Biden died of brain cancer in 2015 at the age of 46.