Biden addresses possible criminal charges against Hunter Biden and says he's 'proud' of son's fight against drug addiction - CNN

CNN  — 

President Joe Biden connected Tuesday for the archetypal clip addressed his son’s vulnerability to imaginable transgression charges for allegedly lying connected a gun-purchase application, but helium said helium was arrogant of Hunter Biden for confronting his struggles with cause addiction successful an interrogation with Jake Tapper aired connected “CNN Tonight.”

Hunter Biden purchased a weapon during a clip successful which helium has present acknowledged helium was struggling with cause addiction – an contented present nether national transgression probe due to the fact that national instrumentality requires purchasers to attest that they aren’t users of oregon addicted to amerciable drugs, CNN has reported. Federal prosecutors are weighing imaginable charges related taxation violations and for making a mendacious connection related to the weapon purchase, CNN reported.

President Biden told Tapper connected Tuesday that helium was “proud” of Hunter Biden for being straightforward astir his conflict with cause addiction.

“This is simply a kid who got – not a kid, he’s a grown antheral – helium got hooked on, similar galore families person had happen, hooked connected drugs. He’s flooded that. He’s established a caller life,” Biden said.

“I’m assured that helium is – what helium says and does are accordant with what happens,” the President said. “And for example, helium wrote a publication astir his problems and was straightforward astir it. I’m arrogant of him.”

The lawsuit against Hunter Biden narrowed earlier this twelvemonth and was a substance of treatment successful aboriginal summertime betwixt FBI and IRS investigators, prosecutors successful Delaware and the Justice Department, CNN antecedently reported. The discussions included assessing the spot of the lawsuit and questioning whether much enactment was needed earlier deciding connected charges. Prosecutors and investigators person argued that they person capable grounds to bring charges, but a determination connected charges rests with Delaware U.S. Attorney David Weiss and is expected aft the midterm elections.

An lawyer for Hunter Biden didn’t instantly comment.

In the CNN interrogation connected Tuesday, the President defended his son.

“This happening astir a weapon – I didn’t cognize thing astir it. But turns retired that erstwhile helium made exertion to acquisition a gun, what happened was helium – I conjecture you get asked – I don’t guess, you get asked a question, are you connected drugs, oregon bash usage drugs?’ He said no. And helium wrote astir saying nary successful his book,” Biden said.

“So, I person large assurance successful my son,” helium went on. “I emotion him and he’s connected the consecutive and narrow, and helium has been for a mates years now. And I’m conscionable truthful arrogant of him.”

The White House has consistently declined to remark connected the Hunter Biden investigation, saying it’s a substance for the Justice Department. But Republicans and blimpish media person focused connected the issue, which could go the taxable of legislature inquiries should Republicans instrumentality power of Congress aft this year’s midterm elections.

Biden told Tapper his absorption close present is connected November’s legislature contests. But helium said erstwhile those elections conclude he’d participate the decision-making process connected his ain governmental future.

“I’m not going to marque this astir my decision. I’m going to marque this astir this off-year election. After that’s done successful November, past I’m going to beryllium successful the process of deciding,” Biden said.

Biden, who turns 80 connected November 20, has consistently batted distant questions astir his age, suggesting his show arsenic president speaks for itself.

He has said helium intends to tally for reelection. But helium notes helium respects fate, and has suggested he’ll sermon the substance with his household and travel to a determination aboriginal adjacent year.

In polls, majorities of Democrats accidental they bash not privation Biden to tally for reelection successful 2024. A CNN canvass from July recovered 75% of Democratic and Democratic-leading voters wanted the enactment to nominate idiosyncratic else, a crisp summation from earlier successful the year. Of those, 17% said they wanted different nominee due to the fact that of Biden’s age.

“They’re acrophobic astir whether oregon not I tin thing done. Look what I’ve gotten done. Name maine a president successful caller past that’s gotten arsenic overmuch done arsenic I person successful the archetypal 2 years. Not a joke. You whitethorn not similar what I got done, but the immense bulk of the American radical bash similar what I got done,” helium said.

“It’s a substance of, tin you bash the job? And I judge I tin bash the job. I’ve been capable to bash the job,” helium went on.

When Tapper asked whether 1 of his calculations successful deciding whether to tally for reelection was whether “you deliberation you’re the lone 1 who tin bushed Donald Trump,” Biden offered a succinct response: “I judge I tin bushed Donald Trump again,” helium said.