- Voters say President Biden should NOT erase any convictions of son Hunter
- Respondents divided over whether the Democratic leader’s son can get justice
- READ MORE: Hunter Biden gun trial live: Get the latest trial updates on our blog
Voters by huge margins want President Joe Biden to keep his hands off the gun and tax-dodging trials of his son, Hunter, a DailyMail.com/TIPP poll shows.
Fully 67 percent of respondents said the president should not pardon his 54-year-old child, whose historic trial began in a federal court in Delaware on Monday.
Only a fifth of respondents said Biden should reprieve his son; and 13 percent said they were not sure.
The results come as Hunter became the first child of a sitting president to face a criminal trial.
He’s pleaded not guilty to three felony charges stemming from his purchase and possession of a revolver in 2018 — a dark period in his life marked by crack cocaine, prostitutes and foreign business deals.
The trial in Wilmington, with US District Judge Maryellen Noreika presiding, begins with the jury selection process.
Hunter also faces federal tax charges brought separately in California.
The courtroom drama comes days after former President Donald Trump was convicted in his New York hush money case.
US presidents have broad powers to pardon people for criminal offenses, but scholars say they should use the system carefully, as it is open to abuse.
The White House said last year that Biden would not pardon Hunter Biden if he is convicted.
Still, the president has made little attempt to distance himself from Hunter in recent weeks.
They’ve been seen together at a White House state dinner, at church, and cycling along a beach in Delaware.
The president says he won’t comment on the trial, but that as a dad he has ‘boundless love for my son, confidence in him, and respect for his strength.’
‘I am the President, but I am also a Dad,’ he said.
‘Jill and I love our son, and we are so proud of the man he is today.’
Americans took to social media on Monday to post their concerns about whether Hunter was likely to get convicted — and whether his dad would give him a get-out-of-jail card afterward.
Arizona resident Lori Prockish called the trial a ‘joke and a waste of taxpayer money,’ adding that the president would doubtless pardon his son in the event of a conviction.
Al Penwasser, an X user listed as a Virginia-based retired naval officer, said there was little doubt the president would pardon his offspring, adding that ‘people have lost faith in the justice system.’
Our nationwide survey of 1,910 voters found that two thirds are against any such pardon.
Those aged over 45 years and white people object much more strongly to a presidential pardon.
There’s also a partisan leaning. Fully 79 percent of Republican voters warn against pardoning Hunter, compared to 52 percent of Democrats.
Voters were split over whether the younger Biden could get a fair trial in Delaware.
While 44 percent of respondents said the proceedings would be even-handed, another 31 percent said they would not.
Another quarter of voters said they were not sure.
Americans aged 65 and above, white people, and Democratic voters were more likely to say Hunter would get a fair trial.
The survey has a +/-2.4 percent error margin. It was carried out in late May by TIPP, which is noted for the accuracy of its polls.
Hunter Biden’s trial gives Republicans a chance to shift attention away from the legal troubles of their likely nominee for this year’s presidential election, Trump.
The case brought by US Special Counsel David Weiss, a Trump appointee, last September.
Hunter Biden arrives to court for his criminal gun charges trial
Hunter Biden was charged with lying about his use of illegal drugs when he bought a Colt Cobra .38-caliber revolver and with illegally possessing the weapon for 11 days in October 2018.
Weiss, who has investigated Hunter Biden since at least 2019, also brought the tax charges.
If convicted on all charges in the Delaware case, Hunter Biden faces up to 25 years in prison, though defendants generally receive shorter sentences.
Hunter Biden spent the weekend with his father in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, with the pair biking and attending church together on Saturday.
Potential jurors will be screened for their ability to commit to serving the length of the trial, which is expected to run through the end of next week.
All 12 jurors must agree he is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt to convict.
The case is expected to center on Hunter’s years-long crack cocaine use and addiction, which he has discussed publicly and which was a prominent part of his 2021 autobiography
He told Noreika at a hearing last year that he has been sober since the middle of 2019.
Prosecutors will seek to prove that Hunter Biden knew he was lying when he ticked the box for ‘no’ next to a question on a federal gun purchase form asking if he was an unlawful user of a controlled substance.
Prosecution lawyers revealed in court filings that they may use details gleaned from Hunter’s phone and iCloud account, including photos of him smoking crack and messages with drug dealers.
A plea agreement that would have resolved the gun and tax charges without prison time collapsed last year after Noreika questioned the extent of the immunity it extended to Biden.
Congressional Republicans spent years in vain trying to find evidence of a corrupt link between Hunter’s foreign business dealings, including work for Ukrainian energy company Burisma, and his father’s political power.
Our performance in 2020 for accuracy as rated by Washington Post:
TIPP Takes
Geopolitics, Geoeconomics, And More
1. Biden’s Description Of Cease-Fire Offer ‘Not Accurate,’ Says Israeli Official – NBC News
President Joe Biden’s description of Israel’s cease-fire proposal was “not accurate,” a senior Israeli official told NBC News, as doubts grew over the U.S. ally’s stance on the deal.
The official specifically disputed that Israel had agreed to fully withdraw its troops from the Gaza Strip as part of a deal to free the 125 or so hostages remaining in captivity there. The official also said that while the White House described the plan as originating from Israel, it was a proposal put forward by mediators to which Israel had made amendments and changes.
2. Israel Confirms Deaths Of Four More Hostages In Gaza – BBC
Israel’s military says the four were killed while together during an Israeli operation in Khan Younis in southern Gaza, adding that the militants were still holding their bodies.
The men were British-Israeli Nadav Popplewell, 51, Chaim Peri, 79, Yoram Metzger, 80, and Amiram Cooper, 85. Last month, Hamas claimed that Nadav Popplewell had died in an Israeli strike in April. The UK Foreign Office said it was investigating, but there was no confirmation of his death until now.
3. Palestinians Seek To Join Gaza Genocide Case At World Court – A.P.
Palestinian officials have applied on behalf of the “State of Palestine” at the top UN court for permission to join South Africa’s case accusing Israel of genocide in Gaza.
Palestinian officials can address the court in writing and during public hearings if granted. South Africa filed its case with the World Court late last year, accusing Israel of breaching the genocide convention in its military assault that has laid waste to large swaths of Gaza.
4. Russia Warns U.S. Of ‘Fatal Consequences’ Over Miscalculations In Ukraine – Politico
The Kremlin said the U.S. could face “fatal consequences” if it ignores Moscow’s warnings that Ukraine should not use weapons provided by Washington to attack Russia.
“For unknown reasons, they underestimate the seriousness of the rebuff they may receive,” Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said, Russian state news agency RIA reported.
Kyiv has been calling for extra flexibility with the use of Western weapons as Russian President Vladimir Putin’s forces push into the Kharkiv region of Ukraine.
5. Basic Training In Ukraine Is Barely Covering The Basics, Commanders Say – The Washington Post
As Ukraine prepares to mobilize tens of thousands of men to address a critical shortage of soldiers amid intensified Russian attacks, Ukrainian commanders in the field say they are bracing for most of the new troops to arrive with poor training.
With Russia on the offensive, the persistent complaints are a reminder that a newly adopted mobilization law intended to widen the pool of draft-eligible men is just one step in solving the military’s personnel problems.
6. Energy Shutdowns Hit Ukraine After Russian Attacks Target Infrastructure – A.P.
Ukraine’s state-owned power grid operator, Ukrenergo, said the shutdowns affected industrial and household consumers.
Sustained Russian attacks on Ukraine’s power grid in recent weeks have forced the government to institute nationwide rolling blackouts. Without adequate air defenses to counter assaults and allow for repairs, the shortages could still worsen as need spikes in late summer and the bitterly cold winter.
7. IAEA Says Situation At Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Plant Is ‘Precarious,’ Unsafe To Restart – RFE/RL
“All seven pillars of nuclear safety and security have been fully or partially compromised,” the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, said.
Grossi said he met with the head of the Russian state nuclear firm Rosatom to discuss the possibility of restarting the facility. Both sides in the conflict have accused the other of launching drone and missile attacks on the site as fighting rages in the region.
8. Russia Trade Isolation Grows As Chinese Banks Cut Payments – Nikkei Asia
Russian trade is suffering a major blow as the U.S. threatens sanctions on banks in third countries, including China, seen to be facilitating Moscow’s war efforts in Ukraine.
According to the Russian Central Bank, Russia’s total imports fell 10% in January-April. Imports from China, which Russia relies heavily on for wartime supplies, have plunged since March.
9. China, H.K. Tighten Security On 35th Anniv. Of Tiananmen Crackdown – Kyodo News
China and Hong Kong tightened security on Tuesday, the 35th anniversary of the 1989 military crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square, to clamp down on any vigils in remembrance of the victims.
On June 4, 1989, People’s Liberation Army troops opened fire on student-led protesters who had gathered in the square to call for democracy, resulting in 319 deaths, according to the Chinese government. However, some estimates put the actual number in the thousands.
10. China’s Chang’E-6 Mission Lifts Off From Far Side Of The Moon – UPI
China’s space agency said its Chang’e-6 mission has begun its journey back to Earth, transporting samples and moon rocks.
The probe sought to collect some of the oldest known rocks on the moon’s south pole, which Chinese scientists said could show how planets form.
11. Iran’s Top Diplomat Confirms Talks With U.S. – AFP
Iran’s acting foreign minister, Ali Bagheri, said his government was engaged in negotiations with arch-foe the United States that are being hosted by the Gulf sultanate of Oman.
The Financial Times reported in March that Bagheri was involved in indirect talks with the United States in Oman in early 2024 against the backdrop of heightened regional tensions over Israel’s war in the Gaza Strip.
Washington and Tehran have not had diplomatic relations since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
12. U.S., Saudi Arabia On Verge Of ‘Historic’ Deal: Senior American Diplomat – Al Arabiya
U.S. Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Michael Ratney said that, if completed, the agreement would see a path to Palestinian statehood as well as the establishment of diplomatic ties between the Kingdom and Israel.
Just as crucial as the Palestinian state would be a treaty or security pact between Washington and Riyadh, as well as cooperation on Saudi Arabia’s civilian nuclear program and other economic agreements.
13. UK Gives Date For First Rwanda Asylum Seekers’ Deportation Flights – Reuters
A government lawyer said Britain intends to begin deporting asylum seekers to Rwanda on July 24, although the hotly contested scheme is dependent on Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s Conservative Party winning the upcoming election.
Sending asylum seekers who have arrived in Britain without permission to Rwanda is one of Sunak’s flagship policies. Still, legal and parliamentary obstacles have meant it has never got off the ground.
14. South Korea Says Will Resume Military Activities Along Demarcation Line – Reuters
After suspending the inter-Korean military agreement, South Korea’s military said it would resume military activities along the demarcation line separating the two Koreas and North West Islands.
The suspension of the military agreement with the North, which President Yoon Suk Yeol approved earlier on Tuesday, is in response to North Korea’s decision to send hundreds of balloons carrying trash over the border.
15. Toyota Apologizes As Japanese Car Testing Scandal Widens – D.W.
Toyota Motor Corporation admitted to cheating on various certification and safety tests for seven car models sold in Japan, three of which are still in production.
Chairman Akio Toyoda apologized at a press conference in Tokyo, offering a customary low bow as he did so. The issue does not affect Toyota’s non-Japanese market. However, it provides a stern test for Japanese car companies in their lucrative and symbolically important home market.
16. Burkina Faso World’s Worst Forgotten Crisis: Report – D.W.
According to a report released by the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), Burkina Faso topped a list of the world’s most neglected crises for the second year in a row.
The humanitarian organization said there were currently around 2 million internally displaced people in the West African country, most of them cut off from aid. Junta-ruled Burkina Faso has been grappling with a jihadi insurgency for years. In 2023, more than 8,000 people were killed in the violence.
17. Early India Election Count Shows Modi Lead Narrowing – BBC
Votes are being counted in the world’s biggest election. Early trends show Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s BJP is not headed for landslide win.
Most exit polls had suggested a comfortable win for Mr. Modi’s party, which is eyeing a rare third consecutive term in power.
18. Better Sleep Might Bring Less Loneliness – HealthDay News
A new study suggests that people who feel lonely and socially isolated might benefit from more sleep, especially if they’re young adults.
Younger adults, in particular, benefit from better sleep, but people of all ages report less loneliness after they’ve slept well, results show. “Loneliness is an urgent public health crisis, and there is a pressing need for providers to better understand and treat it,” said lead researcher Joseph Dzierzewski.
Republished with permission from TIPP Insights
