NationalWatch

WILMINGTON, Del. — Hunter Biden’s whirlwind, and at times emotional, criminal trial came to a close Tuesday when the jury found the first son guilty on all counts related to his purchase of a firearm in 2018. 

“I am more grateful today for the love and support I experienced this last week from Melissa, my family, my friends, and my community than I am disappointed by the outcome. Recovery is possible by the grace of God, and I am blessed to experience that gift one day at a time,” Hunter Biden said in a statement after the verdict. 

After roughly six and a half days in court, the jury agreed with the prosecution team that Hunter Biden lied on a federal firearm form, known as ATF Form 4473, in October 2018 when he ticked a box labeled “No” when asked if he was an unlawful user of drugs or addicted to controlled substances. 

Fox News Digital was present in the courtroom throughout the majority of the trial and has compiled the seven most dramatic moments and testimony that unfolded between June 3 and June 11. 

HUNTER BIDEN FOUND GUILTY ON ALL COUNTS IN GUN TRIAL

Hunter Biden leaves federal court, June 11, 2024, in Wilmington, Delaware. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

HUNTER’S EXES TAKE THE STAND 

Three of Hunter Biden’s exes took the stand and testified during the trial, including his ex-wife, Kathleen Buhle, who was married to the first son for more than 20 years and with whom she shares three adult daughters. 

Buhle and Biden divorced in 2017 after Buhle found a crack pipe on the side porch of their home in Washington, D.C., in 2015, she told the court. 

Buhle was soft-spoken and appeared emotional during her testimony as she detailed her suspicions of his rampant drug use after he was discharged from the Navy Reserves for testing positive for cocaine.

“I was definitely worried, scared,” she said, describing how she would scour his car for drugs and drug paraphernalia to ensure their daughters would not drive the vehicle around with the substances. 

HUNTER BIDEN TRIAL ENTERS DAY 5 AFTER TESTIMONY FROM SISTER-IN-LAW-TURNED-GIRLFRIEND: ‘PANICKED’

Hunter Biden’s ex-wife, Kathleen Buhle, leaves the courthouse after taking the stand during Biden’s criminal trial in Wilmington, Delaware, on June 5, 2024. (Reuters/Kevin Lamarque)

Biden’s ex-girlfriend, Zoe Kestan, also took the stand last week, walking the jury through Biden’s rampant drug abuse throughout their relationship, including him smoking crack in hotel rooms, stealing away to public bathrooms to smoke crack and how she helped pick up drugs for him. She said the crack cocaine he purchased often was the size of a “ping pong ball,” which he broke into pieces and lit up in glass pipes. Kestan testified under immunity. 

READ THE VERDICT

Kestan met Hunter Biden when she was 24 and he was 48 at a New York City gentleman’s club where she worked as a dancer. Kestan said their whirlwind relationship was a “distraction” for Biden as he allegedly smoked less when they were hidden away, sometimes for days at a time, in ritzy hotel rooms such as New York City’s Four Seasons or in a bungalow at Los Angeles’ Chateau Marmont. 

Kestan’s testimony was accompanied by photos depicting crack pipes in hotel rooms, a photo of a bare-chested Biden in a bubble bath with Kestan, and a screenshot of a FaceTime video showing Biden’s back tattoo that resembled claw marks. The jurors were told amid Kestan’s remarks that Biden learned how to cook crack cocaine, and they were shown a photo of baking soda in one hotel room that was used to cook cocaine into crack.

Ex-girlfriend Zoe Kestan leaves federal court after testifying in Hunter Biden’s trial in Wilmington, Delaware, on June 5, 2024. (Reuters/Kevin Lamarque)

Hallie Biden, Hunter Biden’s sister-in-law turned girlfriend, also took the stand. Hallie Biden was a key figure in the trial: She was the one to toss Hunter Biden’s gun in a trash can outside a Wilmington supermarket, which led to police involvement ahead of the indictment last year. She also provided further insight into his addiction to crack cocaine during the year he purchased the gun.

‘LIKE A SON’: FORMER TOP BIDEN ADVISER WITH DEEP BUSINESS TIES TO CHINA SPOTTED INSIDE HUNTER BIDEN GUN TRIAL 

Hallie Biden is Beau Biden’s widow and began a relationship with Beau’s brother, Hunter Biden, in 2015, after her husband’s death from brain cancer. The pair had an on-and-off romantic relationship until about 2019, when they called it quits. Hallie Biden testified about her discovery that Hunter Biden used crack, that he introduced her to crack cocaine, and how she became sober before discovering the handgun at the heart of the case in Hunter Biden’s truck on Oct. 23, 2018.

​​”It was a terrible experience I went through, and I was embarrassed and ashamed. … I regret that period of my life,” Hallie Biden told the court on Thursday about her use of crack cocaine. Hallie Biden was joined in court by her husband, who she married the weekend before her testimony. Similar to Kestan, Hallie Biden also testified under immunity.

A court sketch depicts Hallie Biden testifying during Hunter Biden’s trial in Wilmington, Delaware, on June 6, 2024. (William J. Hennessy Jr.)

JILL BIDEN AND ALLIES FRONT AND CENTER 

First lady Jill Biden became a fixture of the Wilmington, Delaware, courtroom throughout the trial. She took a front-row seat in the courtroom, sitting behind her stepson as he faced testimony regarding his repeated use of crack cocaine before and after his illegal purchase of a firearm. 

HUNTER BIDEN TRIAL ENTERS DAY 4 AFTER WILD TESTIMONY FROM EXES ON RAMPANT DRUG USE, TRASHED HOTEL ROOMS

Jill Biden only missed one full day of court last week, when she traveled to Normandy, France, with President Biden to commemorate the 80th anniversary of D-Day. She also notably missed former daughter-in-law Kathleen Buhle’s testimony, but she returned to the court after Buhle left the stand.

First lady Jill Biden leaves federal court, June 5, 2024, in Wilmington, Delaware. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

The first lady was frequently joined by family members such as President Biden’s siblings Valerie Biden and James Biden, daughter Ashley Biden, daughter-in-law Melissa Cohen Biden, and allies, such as former Biden adviser Francis “Fran” Person and lawyer and producer Kevin Morris.

Jill Biden seldom looked around the courtroom during her days in the J. Caleb Boggs Federal Building, which is named after the Republican Delaware senator President Biden defeated in 1972, subsequently catapulting the 46th president’s political career. The first family and allies also walked past large portraits of President Biden and Vice President Harris when entering and leaving the court’s main lobby. 

HUNTER BIDEN TRIAL ENTERS 3RD DAY WITH CROSS-EXAMINATION OF FBI AGENT

Jill Biden directed her focus toward the defense team and presiding Judge Maryellen Noreika the majority of her time in court, only shifting in her seat to speak with family or allies.

Jill Biden was not in the courtroom when Hunter Biden’s verdict was read, but she joined her stepson in court soon after and left with him and his wife early Tuesday afternoon.

First lady Jill Biden arrives at federal court, June 4, 2024, in Wilmington, Delaware. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

PROSECUTION TELLS JURY THAT BIDEN FAMILY IN AUDIENCE ‘NOT EVIDENCE’ 

Prosecutor Leo Wise in his closing arguments highlighted to the jury that the “people sitting in the gallery are not evidence,” seemingly referring to the first lady and others in the Biden family, whose roots run deep in Delaware. 

“Respectfully, none of that matters,” he added, even if the jurors recognized the audience “from the news.” 

A juror who spoke to Fox News after the verdict said he was “aware” of the first lady’s presence in the courtroom but that the jury “didn’t discuss any part of the case until” they were excused to deliberate Monday afternoon.

HUNTER BIDEN’S WIFE LASHES OUT AT FORMER TRUMP ADMIN AIDE 

Hunter Biden’s second wife, Melissa Cohen Biden, lashed out at a former Trump White House aide, Garrett Ziegler, on the second day of the trial.

Hunter Biden sued Ziegler last year for publishing contents of his infamous laptop that he left in a Delaware repair shop in 2019. Amid the Hunter Biden trial this month, the scandalous laptop was formally entered into evidence and confirmed as valid, despite many media outlets previously discounting the laptop as Russian disinformation.

HUNTER BIDEN’S WIFE LASHES OUT AT FORMER TRUMP AIDE DURING COURT APPEARANCE: ‘PIECE OF S—‘

“You have no right to be here, you Nazi piece of s—” Cohen Biden said while pointing her finger at the former Trump administration aide just outside the courtroom last Tuesday, according to reports. Fox News Digital did not witness the tense exchange.

Hunter Biden and his wife, Melissa Cohen Biden, are shown outside federal court in Wilmington, Delaware, on June 11, 2024. (Reuters/Hannah Beier)

Ziegler, who founded a nonprofit group Marco Polo, did not initially respond to Melissa Cohen Biden’s remarks but later confirmed the confrontation. 

“It’s sad I’ve been sitting here the whole time and haven’t approached anyone,” Ziegler said later to NBC News, confirming the encounter. 

HUNTER BIDEN’S DRUG USE: WHAT PROSECUTION NEEDS TO PROVE, WHAT WE ALREADY KNOW

Hunter Biden and wife Melissa Cohen Biden leave federal court on June 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

NAOMI BIDEN NERVOUSLY TAKES THE STAND 

Naomi Biden was called by the defense team to take the stand last Friday, and she told the court that she was aware of her father’s addiction to drugs but said she had never witnessed him use drugs, namely crack cocaine. 

Naomi Biden took the stand early Friday afternoon in the federal courthouse, dressed in all black with her hair pulled back, and told the court amid her testimony that she was “nervous.” Hunter Biden appeared emotional when his daughter first entered court, taking out a tissue at one point and dabbing his eyes. 

HUNTER BIDEN TRIAL: 9 KEY FIGURES WHO MAY TESTIFY

A court sketch depicts Naomi Biden’s testimony during Hunter Biden’s federal trial in Wilmington, Delaware, on June 7, 2024. (William J. Hennessy Jr.)

Wise presented Naomi Biden with a stack of printed-out text messages she shared with her father in October 2018 during cross-examination, including messages Hunter Biden sent his daughter after 2 a.m. asking if her boyfriend could drive his pickup truck to him and exchange the vehicle in Manhattan. 

Naomi Biden testified that she did not know what her father was doing at 2 a.m. or why he was asking for the car in the middle of the night. Wise asked Naomi Biden if she knew if her father was meeting with someone named Frankie that night. Kestan testified earlier in the week that Biden met with a drug dealer named Frankie in a hotel room when he was in New York City in October 2018. 

“I can’t take this. I don’t know what to say. I just miss you so much,” she texted him later as they tried to hash out exchanging the truck. Biden texted back, apologizing.  

US V HUNTER BIDEN: OPENING STATEMENTS TO BEGIN IN FIRST SON’S FEDERAL GUN TRIAL AFTER JURY SEATED

VERDICT READ IN COURT 

Following about just three hours of jury deliberations between Monday afternoon and Tuesday morning, Hunter Biden was found guilty of all three counts, which included making a false statement in the purchase of a gun, making a false statement related to information required to be kept by a federally licensed gun dealer, and possession of a gun by a person who is an unlawful user of or addicted to a controlled substance.

A court sketch depicts the verdict being read during Hunter Biden’s trial in Wilmington, Delaware, on June 11, 2024. Biden was found guilty on all three counts in his federal gun trial. (William Hennessy Jr.)

Hunter Biden was very still and forward-facing as the guilty verdict was read. Ahead of the verdict, Hunter Biden appeared more upbeat than he did amid trial proceedings during the first week. He flashed a big smile at his defense team early Tuesday morning. 

HUNTER BIDEN’S CRIMINAL TRIAL ON FEDERAL GUN CHARGES BEGINS WITH JURY SELECTION

He kissed his wife, and they left the courtroom before grabbing lunch in Wilmington a short time later.

Hunter Biden and wife Melissa Cohen Biden arrive for the reading of the verdict in his trial on criminal gun charges in Wilmington, Delaware, on June 11, 2024. (Reuters/Hannah Beier)

Hunter Biden faces a total maximum prison time of 25 years for the three charges. Each count also carries a maximum fine of $250,000 and three years of supervised release. Hunter Biden, however, is a first-time offender, making it unlikely he will face maximum penalties when he is sentenced at a later date.

JURY HEARS AN HOUR OF EXCERPTS FROM ‘BEAUTIFUL THINGS’ 

The prosecution team played roughly an hour of excerpts from Hunter Biden’s 2021 memoir, “Beautiful Things,” which detailed his rampant drug use after his brother’s death in 2015. He authored the memoir after he became sober in 2019.

The book was “key evidence that Hunter was using drugs,” prosecutor Wise said in his closing arguments to the jury on Monday. 

Hunter Biden holds a copy of his memoir, “Beautiful Things,” while leaving federal court in Wilmington, Delaware, June 5, 2024. (Reuters/Kevin Lamarque)

Last week, the prosecution team played excerpts from the book, which included anecdotes such as how he linked up with a female drug dealer he nicknamed “Bicycles” who sold him crack cocaine on the streets of Washington, D.C., how he could serve as a “crack daddy” to dealers due to his spiraling addiction, and how he took cocaine from a stranger in a hotel bathroom in Monte Carlo.

US V HUNTER BIDEN TRIAL ENTERS DAY 7 WITH CONTINUED JURY DELIBERATIONS: ‘CHOICES HAVE CONSEQUENCES’

“I possessed a new superpower: the ability to find crack in any town, at any time, no matter how unfamiliar the terrain. It was easy-risky, often frustrating, always stupid and stupendously dangerous, yet relatively simple if you didn’t give much of a s— about your own well-being and were desperate enough to have an almost limitless appetite for debasement,” one excerpt read. 

Social media users weighed in on Hunter Biden being found guilty on charges related to his possession of a firearm. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

The excerpts were taken from the audiobook version of the memoir, which was narrated by Hunter Biden himself. The first son sat in court as his narration echoed through the court’s speaker system, walking the jury through his free fall with crack cocaine. 

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Another excerpt read in court stated, “I was smoking crack every 15 minutes.” And another, “I was so lost in my addiction that I watched the crowd rob me blind and didn’t care enough to stop them – not as long as the cycle of drugs, sex, exhaustion and exhilaration repeated itself over and over. It was nonstop depravity.” 

Hunter Biden will be sentenced sometime in October.

WASHINGTON — A continuing focus on diversity appears to be the political strategy for how President Biden would approach filling any Supreme Court vacancies in a second term. 

Sources close to the White House and his re-election campaign say the president would use the successful nomination of Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson as a template for navigating any future high court opening.

For now, officials say he plans to more prominently tout Jackson’s confirmation to various key constituencies as the presidential campaign intensifies, especially to Black voters who will be key to his re-election.

After Justice Stephen Breyer announced his 2022 retirement, Biden committed early on to naming the first Black woman as his replacement and gathered a number of qualified jurists for initial vetting. That internal list then expanded before three finalists were ultimately reached — Jackson and judges Leondra Kruger and J. Michelle Childs. Kruger and Childs remain top contenders for the Supreme Court, sources say.

BIDEN ADMIN WEIGHS GOING AROUND ISRAEL TO NEGOTIATE RELEASE OF US HOSTAGES DIRECTLY WITH HAMAS: REPORT

President Biden arrives at Omaha Beach to commemorate “D-Day” in France. (Miguel Medina/AFP via Getty Images)

The president, in public remarks, has made much of the diversity of his judicial nominees for the courts. Almost two-thirds are women, more than twice those named by President Trump in his single term (Biden 127; 64% as of May 22, versus Trump 55 total; 24%). Biden has also named an equal percentage of members of a racial or ethnic minority group to the federal bench — about 64%.

Biden could make history with the first justice who identifies as Asian American or Pacific Islander and would have more than 30 AAPI judges he has named to the lower federal courts to choose from. 

But any retirement by Justice Clarence Thomas, who turns 75 June 23, or Justice Sonia Sotomayor, who turns 70 two days later, would put political pressure on the next president to name a Black or Latino to the Supreme Court.

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Overall, Biden has been actively finding qualified federal candidates to fill bench vacancies. His 200th federal judge was confirmed by the Senate last month, slightly outpacing the number by his predecessor at this point in his presidency. 

The following is an unofficial list of potential candidates for the Supreme Court by Biden. It was compiled from a number of sources, including officials within his inner circle, his political campaign and Democratic political and legal circles. 

The current White House administration, like those before, quickly began compiling an informal list of possible high court nominees to consider in the event of a sudden vacancy. But serious vetting only begins when such a vacancy occurs or is announced in advance by a retiring justice.

Justice Leondra R. Kruger at a session at the California Supreme Court in Los Angeles. (Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

• Leondra Kruger, California Supreme Court Justice

Born in 1976, Kruger is a former Obama Justice Department lawyer and argued 12 cases before the Supreme Court. She also clerked for Justice John Paul Stevens and was a finalist for the 2022 court seat that went to Brown Jackson. Her sterling resume and relatively young age could continue to make Kruger a strong favorite for a Supreme Court seat, especially if Thomas retires. She’s considered something of a moderate on the state high court and often a “swing” or deciding vote in close cases. But state judges rarely receive serious consideration for the U.S. Supreme Court. The last was Justice Sandra Day O’Connor in 1981. Kruger’s parents were both pediatricians. Her mother is Jamaican. Her late father was the son of Jewish immigrants. She gave birth to a daughter in March 2016.

• Sri Srinivasan, D.C. Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals Judge, Washington

Born in 1967 in India, Srinivasan was later named to the court in 2013 (97-0 vote), months before colleague Patricia Millett joined him. He is now chief judge on that bench. He was a finalist for the seat that Garland was nominated for. The son of Indian immigrants and raised in Kansas. Padmanabhan Srikanth Srinivasan was the principal deputy solicitor general at the Justice Department and argued more than two dozen cases before the Supreme Court. He would be the high court’s first Asian American. He clerked for Republican-nominated federal judges Harvie Wilkinson and Day O’Connor. Obama called him “a trailblazer who personifies the best of America.” Known as low-key, practical and non-ideological, he may not excite many progressives, nor give conservatives much to dislike. 

Fun fact: Justice Elena Kagan has praised him (both worked together in the Obama SG’s office), saying Srinivasan “cools it down” with his calm manner during oral arguments.

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• Elizabeth Prelogar, U.S. Solicitor General (pronounced: PRE’-low-guhr)

Born in 1980, Prelogar became the 40th solicitor general in October 2021, after serving for months in an acting role. The Idaho native clerked for justices Ginsburg and Kagan, a former solicitor general, and for then-Judge Merrick Garland on the D.C. Circuit appeals court. Besides Kagan, former solicitors general to later become a justice include William Howard Taft, Robert Jackson, Stanley Reed and Thurgood Marshall.

Fun facts: She was a beauty pageant contestant named Miss Idaho in 2004 and appeared last fall on the NPR quiz show, “Wait, Wait… Don’t Tell Me” (her topic was vacuum cleaner salespeople).

• Lisa Monaco, Deputy Attorney General

Born in 1968, Monaco was a former federal prosecutor and national security adviser under Obama from 2013-2017. She worked as a researcher under then-Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Joe Biden starting in 1992. Monaco would also be a favorite for attorney general in a second Biden term if Garland retires.

Candace Jackson-Akiwumi testifying at a Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing in Washington, D.C. (Tom Williams-Pool/Getty Images)

• Candace Jackson-Akiwumi, 7th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals Judge, Chicago

Born in 1979 in Norfolk, Virginia, both her parents are judges, U.S. District Judge Raymond Alvin Jackson and former Norfolk General District Court Judge Gwendolyn Jackson. A former federal defender in Chicago and, before that, a partner in a D.C. law firm, Jackson-Akiwumi was nominated by Biden in March 2021, one of three Black women named to appeals court seats in the administration’s first months.  

• J. Michelle Childs, D.C. Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals Judge, Washington

Born in 1966, Childs was nominated in December 2021 to serve on the high-profile D.C. Circuit appeals court, replacing the retiring Judge David Tatel. She was Biden’s second Black woman on the D.C. Circuit, after now-Justice Jackson. Sources say Rep. Clyburn (D-S.C.) strongly pushed the White House to name the South Carolina-based Childs to this seat. The D.C. Circuit is seen as something of a professional stepping stone to the Supreme Court. Besides Jackson, recent justices who earlier served on that appellate bench include John Roberts, Clarence Thomas, Brett Kavanaugh and the late Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Antonin Scalia. Childs had previously been a federal district court judge since 2010. The Detroit native went to law school at the University of South Carolina.

Born in 1974, Pérez was a 2021 appointee to her current seat. She previously served at the progressive Brennan Center for Justice at the New York University School of Law as director of its Voting Rights and Elections Program. A native of San Antonio, she would be given serious consideration, especially if Sotomayor retired.  

• Nancy Maldonado, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois Judge, Chicago

Born in 1975, Maldonado was nominated for a seat on the 7th Circuit. She would be the first Hispanic judge on that federal appeals bench. Her nomination to the high court would have a strong backer in her home state of Illinois. 

• Patricia Millett, D.C. Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals Judge, Washington

Born in 1963, Millett was named in 2013 to a bench considered a stepping stone to the high court, where four current justices once served (so did Justice Scalia). Formerly a private Washington-based appellate attorney — Obama called her “one of the nation’s finest” — who also had more than a decade experience in the U.S. Solicitor General’s office. Millett argued 32 cases before the Supreme Court, second-most ever for a female lawyer. Sources from both ideological stripes call her fair-minded, no-nonsense and non-ideological. Age may be a drawback for any future high court vacancies.

Fun fact: Her husband is U.S. Navy reservist Robert King, and the two met at a Methodist Church singles event.

BIDEN’S INNER CIRCLE DEEPLY INVOLVED WITH FAMILY’S BUSINESS DEALINGS: REPORT

President Biden gives a speech at the White House. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

• Cindy Kyounga Chung, 3rd Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals Judge, Pittsburgh

Born in 1975, Chung, a Korean-American native, is a Biden appointee to her current seat and a former U.S. attorney in Pittsburgh.

• Roopali Desai, 9th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals Judge, Phoenix, Arizona

Desai was born in 1978 in Toronto, Canada, to parents of Indian descent. After law school in Arizona, Desai, as a private attorney, worked successfully with the Arizona Secretary of State’s office to throw out challenges to the state’s 2020 presidential election results. She was then appointed by Biden to the largest federal appeals court. 

• Lucy Haeran Koh, 9th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals Judge, San Francisco

Born in 1968, Koh was renominated in 2021 by Biden to the federal appeals court. Her 2016 nomination expired with the end of the 114th Congress, and then-President Trump subsequently named someone else to the seat. The Oklahoma native is of Korean descent. Koh had been overseeing separate multidistrict litigation involving such tech giants as Samsung and Apple, Inc. She is married to state Justice Mariano-Florentino Cuéllar (see below).

BIDEN’S ‘PERPETUAL STATE OF CONFUSION’ ON DISPLAY IN NORMANDY AMID RISING COGNITIVE QUESTIONS

• Jacqueline Hong-Ngoc Nguyen, 9th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals Judge, Pasadena, California

Born in 1965 in Dalat, Vietnam, and named to the court in 2012 after two years as a federal district court judge, Hong-Ngoc Nguyen could make history as the high court’s first Asian American justice. She is already the first Asian American woman to sit on a federal appeals court. A former state judge, federal prosecutor and private attorney, he moved with her family to the U.S. when she was 10, just after the fall of South Vietnam to the communists. Her parents eventually set up a doughnut shop in North Hollywood, California.

• Michelle Friedland, 9th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals Judge, San Jose, California

Born in 1972 and named to the appeals court seat in 2014, Friedland was sworn in by former Justice O’Connor, for whom she once served as a law clerk.

• Arianna Freeman, 3rd Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals Judge, Philadelphia

Born in 1978, Freeman is a Biden appointee and the first Black woman on the 3rd Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals in Philadelphia. Her service as a former federal public defender in the City of Brotherly Love was criticized by Senate Republicans during her judicial confirmation. 

Tamika Montgomery-Reeves testifying at her confirmation hearing in Washington, D.C. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

• Tamika Montgomery-Reeves, 3rd Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals Judge, Wilmington, Delaware

Born in 1981 in Jackson, Mississippi, Montgomery-Reeves was named by Biden in 2022 to her current seat after her service on the Delaware Supreme Court. Her home state professional roots would be an obvious selling point to the president. 

• Paul Watford, private attorney in Los Angeles and former judge

Born in 1967, Watford’s age and background until recently made him a favorite among some liberal court watchers. Named to the 9th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals in 2012, he resigned in May 2023 to go into private practice. He was a finalist for the seat that went to Garland in 2017, although that nomination ultimately failed. He clerked for conservative-libertarian former federal Judge Alex Kozinski on the 9th Circuit and later for Bader Ginsburg. He is also a former federal prosecutor and law firm partner. Supporters call the Orange County, California, native an ideological moderate, which may not sit well with progressives seeking a stronger liberal voice. But his rulings limiting police discretion in search and seizure cases have been applauded by left-leaning advocates.

Born in 1970 and of Taiwanese descent, Liu is a former Justice Ginsburg law clerk who helped draft her dissent in Bush v. Gore. Liu joined the state high court after twice being rejected in 2011 by Senate Republicans for a seat on a San Francisco-based federal appeals court. He was eventually filibustered after conservatives said he was “outside the mainstream,” expressing concerns over his past statements on a variety of hot-button topics such as same-sex marriage and health care reform. A Liu nomination would be among the most contentious made by a Democratic president. 

• Mariano-Florentino Cuéllar, former California Supreme Court Justice

Born in 1972 in Mexico, Cuéllar was named in 2021 as president of the D.C.-based Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Nicknamed “Tino,” Cuellar served in the Obama and Clinton administrations and is a former academic specializing in administrative law. He is married to federal Judge Lucy Koh (see above).

• Jane Kelly, 8th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals Judge, Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Born in 1964, Kelly is only the second woman to serve on the St. Louis-based court, appointed in 2013 (96-0 vote). She spent most of her legal career as a federal public defender in Iowa. One of her biggest fans is fellow Iowan Republican Sen. Charles Grassley, ranking member on the Judiciary Committee.

Fun fact: Kelly graduated in 1991 from the same Harvard Law School class as Obama.

• David Barron, 1st Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals Judge, Boston

Born in 1967, Barron was confirmed to the bench in May 2014. He formerly served as acting assistant attorney general in the Obama administration, then went to Harvard Law School as a professor. He also clerked for Justice John Paul Stevens. Being a white male may hurt his chances if President Biden feels political pressure to replace Justice Ginsburg with another woman.

• Robert Wilkins, D.C. Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals Judge, Washington

Born in 1963, Wilkins is an Indiana native and was raised by a single mother. He graduated from Harvard Law School in 1989. He filed a civil rights lawsuit in 1992 against the Maryland State Police after being pulled over for speeding after officers were instructed to focus on young Black males when making lawful traffic stops.

• Cheryl Ann Krause, 3rd Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals Judge, Philadelphia

Born in 1968, Krause was a law clerk for two Republican-appointed court judges, including Justice Anthony Kennedy. She was named to her current seat in 2014 by Obama. 

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• Senators Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.)

A few members of Congress typically get mentioned on these lists, often as a political courtesy, especially to those senators who would vote on any nomination. Frequently mentioned are two members of the Senate Judiciary Committee (and former 2020 presidential candidates) who gained national prominence during the Justice Kavanaugh confirmation hearings.

Booker, born in 1969, is the former mayor of Newark and one of four Black senators. Klobuchar, born in 1960, was a county prosecutor and adviser to former Vice President Walter Mondale. She was mentioned as a possible vice presidential candidate for Biden and has frequently been mentioned as a high court candidate, dating back to 2009.

The House of Representatives is expected to vote on holding Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt of Congress on Wednesday over his failure to produce audio recordings of Special Counsel Robert Hur’s interview with President Biden.

Hur’s findings cleared Biden of wrongdoing in his handling of classified documents but also said the 81-year-old president presented himself “as a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory” and “it would be difficult to convince a jury that they should convict him-by then a former president well into his eighties-of a serious felony that requires a mental state of willfulness.”

Biden and his allies aggressively pushed back on concerns about his mental fitness in the report’s wake.

Republicans seeking the audio recording argue it would provide critical context about Biden’s state of mind. Democrats, meanwhile, have dismissed the request as a partisan attempt to politicize the Department of Justice (DOJ).

JOHNSON FLOATS DEFUNDING SPECIAL COUNSEL’S OFFICE AMID JACK SMITH’S TRUMP PROBE

House Speaker Mike Johnson, right, is teeing up a vote on a contempt of Congress resolution against Attorney General Merrick Garland. (Getty Images/File)

The pursuit of Hur’s audio tapes is part of the House GOP’s wider impeachment inquiry into Biden, investigating allegations he used his political position to enrich himself and his family. Biden has denied accusations of wrongdoing.

And while the majority of Republicans have indicated they support the measure, Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., has little wiggle room: He can only lose two votes on any party-line measure.

Two Republicans – Reps. Juan Ciscomani, R-Ariz., and Dan Newhouse, R-Wash., told Fox News Digital they are still unsure about how they’ll vote.

“I still have to go through the final decision process. But if they’ve already released the transcripts, it doesn’t seem to me like there’s any legal leg to stand on to not release the actual videos. To me, that seems like something they should do,” Newhouse said.

Ciscomani said, “I want to understand exactly the purpose behind that before I comment on it.”

HILL AID INTERFERES WITH FOX NEWS CAMERA CREW DURING TLAIB INTERVIEW

House Freedom Caucus member Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., criticized the moderates’ indecision.

“If moderates don’t agree that Merrick Garland needs to be censured by not turning over audio which solidifies whatever the testimony is, that would shock me,” Norman said.

Republicans are moving against Garland over the DOJ’s refusal to release audio tapes of Special Counsel Robert Hur’s interview with President Biden. (Getty Images/File)

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., said she would aim to force a vote on her own inherent contempt resolution against Garland if the DOJ fails to go after him if the Wednesday resolution passes. An inherent contempt resolution would direct the House’s sergeant at arms to arrest its target rather than passing it to the DOJ.

“As of right now, we fully intend to bring it,” Luna said. “I don’t really have much faith in the Department of Justice. And I don’t think the American people do either. But we are trying to bring back a level playing field and show that, you know, there should be accountability all the way up to the top.”

Democrats, meanwhile, blasted the GOP effort. Rep. Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla., said, “This is what they want to do because they don’t have the votes to impeach Joe Biden, right? That’s why they did Merrick Garland. That’s why they went after [Hunter Biden]. It’s all trying to please their base because Congress doesn’t want to do what Donald Trump wants, which is to impeach Joe Biden so they can have even scores.”

Their targeting of Garland is part of a wider GOP effort to crack down on alleged weaponization of the DOJ by Biden’s officials. That also includes various pieces of legislation and public threats to defund various aspects of the department, including the special counsel currently investigating former President Trump.

Fox News Digital reached out to the DOJ for comment on the contempt resolution against Garland.

TRUMP GUILTY VERDICT REVEALS SPLIT AMONG FORMER GOP PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY OPPONENTS

Rep. Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., had led Democrat opposition to the measure. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon/File)

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Garland took an indirect shot at Republicans’ pushback on the DOJ in a Washington Post op-ed on Tuesday morning.

“In recent weeks, we have seen an escalation of attacks that go far beyond public scrutiny, criticism, and legitimate and necessary oversight of our work. They are baseless, personal and dangerous,” he wrote. “These attacks come in the form of threats to defund particular department investigations, most recently the special counsel’s prosecution of the former president.”

Of course Hunter Biden was guilty. It only took a jury in Delaware, where the family name is golden, three hours to figure that out.

His defense was quite frankly absurd. Biden was a drug addict – he helpfully wrote and recorded a book about it – then his lawyer argued he wasn’t using drugs on the day, week or alternate Tuesday that he bought a handgun – so he didn’t mean to lie on the federal form.

The result: Guilty on all three felony counts.

HUNTER BIDEN’S EX-BUSINESS ASSOCIATE DISMISSES GUN TRIAL CHARGES: ‘DISTRACTION’ FROM ‘INFLUENCE PEDDLING’

The only real mystery is why Hunter didn’t plead guilty and spare his father the personal and political embarrassment of having all this dirty laundry aired in open court. Federal prosecutors clearly were pushing for a settlement. The testimony from Hunter’s exes, the excruciating text messages, all this could have been avoided.

He would have gone to jail either way.

And yet, for all the criticism from Republicans that the law enforcement system has been weaponized against their side, the Biden Justice Department just convicted the president’s son. There aren’t many countries around the world where you can imagine that happening.

Hunter Biden departs from federal court, Tuesday, June 11, 2024, in Wilmington, Delaware.  (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

In fact, that same DOJ is now prosecuting two other prominent Democrats, Sen. Bob Menendez and his gold bars bribery case, and Rep. Henry Cuellar.

In what must have been a difficult psychological blow for Joe Biden, who went to Wilmington last night to be with his son, essentially repeated a statement he made last week. 

“I will accept the outcome of this case, and will continue to respect the judicial process as Hunter considers an appeal,” said the president, who says he has ruled out a pardon. He said he and his wife are “so proud of the man he is today.”

BIDEN’S MENTAL ACUITY QUESTIONED

Despite hours of cable news banners, Joe Biden did not address the matter even when he was addressing a gun safety forum, which made for an awkward situation. But he was not going to give his detractors the sound bite they wanted.

You might think, given that Donald Trump is also a convicted felon – and I’m not comparing the two cases – that he and his allies would let the media tout the Hunter Biden conviction. But no.

Hunter Biden, son of U.S. President Joe Biden, joined by his wife, Melissa Cohen Biden, arrive at the J. Caleb Boggs Federal Building on June 5, 2024, in Wilmington, Delaware.   (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

The Trump camp’s press secretary said “this trial has been nothing more than a distraction from the real crimes of the Biden Crime Family, which has raked in tens of millions of dollars from China, Russia and Ukraine. Crooked Joe Biden’s reign over the Biden Crime Family is all coming to an end on November 5th, and never again will a Biden sell government access for personal profit.”

So we’ve gone from Hunter Biden must be convicted immediately to this is a mere distraction. The gun felony case has nothing to do with his dad, who kept urging him to get sober. The second, more serious criminal trial, for tax evasion, might feature a limited parental role.

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But the “Biden Crime Family” refrain is aimed squarely at the then-vice president’s son trading on his last name to rake in global business for which he was clearly unqualified. So there’s a deliberate shifting of the goal posts here.

Keep in mind that House Republicans, after months of investigation, failed to produce evidence of Joe Biden getting a dime, though he clearly used innocuous calls and a couple of lunches to help his son drum up business. Also, the committee’s key source was indicted for lying. 

Special counsel David Weiss told reporters yesterday the gun case shows “no one is above the law.” But he also suggested the government wouldn’t propose a harsher sentence than for the average person.

Hunter Biden, center, and his attorneys Abbe Lowell, right, and Kevin Morris, left, leave the House Oversight and Accountability Committee markup titled “Resolution Recommending That The House of Representatives Find Robert Hunter Biden In Contempt Of Congress,” in the Rayburn Building on Wednesday, January 10, 2024. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

One could argue that the case should have been brought five years ago. But there’s also a contention that it wouldn’t have been filed at all against Hunter Jones. 

These rare cases usually have to be tied to a larger crime, such as if the president’s son had used the illicitly obtained gun to rob a bank. (That’s the argument Trump made, that he faced a gussied-up misdemeanor because he’s the leading candidate for president.)

But Hunter owned the handgun for all of 11 days before his paramour tossed it in the trash.

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The judge should sentence Hunter Biden around the time of the Democratic convention in August. And then comes the second trial. Awful timing for a notorious son who could have avoided this spectacle with a guilty plea.

Rep. Susie Lee, D-Nev., defeated her primary opponent in Nevada’s Tuesday election.

Lee easily fended off a challenge from RockAthena Brittain, a biological man who identifies as a transgender woman. 

Her opponent did not receive any kind of backing or financial support from the Democratic Party, according to the Nevada Current. 

“I couldn’t even get the Human Rights Campaign to consider me for an endorsement,” Brittain told the outlet. 

SUPREME COURT HISTORICAL SOCIETY BLASTS ‘SURREPTITIOUS’ RECORDING AS DEMS TARGET JUSTICE ALITO

((Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images))

“They said they like Susie Lee because she asks for advice on issues. Wouldn’t it be better if they supported someone who actually knows the issues and doesn’t have to ask?” Brittain said. 

Brittain’s campaign against the three-term congresswoman was considered a longshot given Lee’s name identification, relationships and Democratic Party infrastructure support. 

‘LOOSE CANNON’: SENATE DEM ESCALATES ATTACK ON JUSTICE ALITO AFTER SECRET RECORDING

Rep. Susie Lee, D-Nev., does a TV stand up outside of the U.S. Capitol before the House vote on the $483.4 billion economic relief package on Thursday, April 23, 2020. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

Nevada’s third district is notably on the National Republican Congressional Committee’s (NRCC) target list of districts it hopes to get Republicans elected to in the 2024 elections.

Lee’s district is alongside 36 others across the country that Republicans consider “prime pick-up opportunities.” 

TRUMP TO MEET WITH HOUSE, SENATE REPUBLICANS IN DC THIS WEEK

Representative Richard Hudson, a Republican from North Carolina, speaks during a news conference following a House Republicans meeting at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Tuesday, March 9, 2021. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

“Republicans are in the majority and on offense. We will grow our House majority by building strong campaigns around talented recruits in these districts who can communicate the dangers of Democrats’ extreme agenda,” said NRCC Chairman Richard Hudson, R-N.C., earlier this year. “These House Democrats should be shaking in their boots.” 

While Republicans hope to end Democrats’ hold on the pivotal district, non-partisan political handicapper the Cook Political Report rates the race as “Lean Democratic,” predicting Lee with an enduring edge. 

This split shows President Biden and former President Trump (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson and Evan Vucci)

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The November election is made more competitive in Nevada by the fact that President Biden is also on the ballot. Biden has received some historically low approval ratings during his tenure, and swing state Nevada is embroiled in a close race between him and former President Trump. 

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.

In a primary that split the conservative House Freedom Caucus, incumbent Rep. William Timmons, R-S.C., fended off a challenge from conservative State Rep. Adam Morgan. 

Prominent members of the House Freedom Caucus were split on who should get the nod to represent South Carolina’s solidly Republican 4th Congressional District in the northern part of the state, which includes Greenville and Spartanburg.

Timmons was endorsed by former president Donald Trump as well as conservative Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, Byron Donalds of Florida and Jim Jordan of Ohio. Morgan received the backing of Florida’s Matt Gaetz and House Freedom Caucus Chairman Bob Good of Virginia. Morgan chairs the South Carolina legislature’s version of the Freedom Caucus.

INCUMBENT SC REP TIMMONS HIT WITH RESURFACED VIDEOS OF APPARENT SUPPORT OF DEI IN CONGRESS

Rep. William Timmons, R-S.C., leaves a meeting of the House Republican Conference in the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, Jan. 17, 2024. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

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Timmons raised more campaign cash than Morgan to the tune of $2.4 million to $578,000.

Both candidates said securing the southern border would be their primary focus if elected.

South Carolina State Representative, who is running against Rep. Williams Timmons. (Adam Morgan for Congress)

“Border security has got to be on the top of the list. Over 10 million people have crossed the southern border illegally in the last 3½ years. It’s unacceptable. We have to change the course. Our country can’t sustain it,” Timmons said, according to a report from Fox affiliate WSPA.

Timmons will face Democrat Kathryn Harvey and Constitution Party candidate Mark Hackett in the general election on Nov. 5. Timmons won the 2022 general election with 90.8% of the vote.

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.

RENO, Nev. – EXCLUSIVE: Former U.S. Army Capt. Sam Brown vowed to deliver results for Americans “crushed” by Biden’s policy failures, his first promise after winning a hard fought Senate primary in the crucial swing state of Nevada.

“Look, this is a clear signal that Republicans here in this state are united, not only behind President Trump, but behind me to take on Joe Biden and Jackey Rosen this November,” Brown told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview just moments after the race was called. 

“Americans need hope. Nevadans have been crushed by Biden’s policies. They’ve been supported by Jacky Rosen. And this is a resounding victory. We’re looking forward to going head-to-head and delivering a victory that Nevadans need,” he added.

WATCH: TRUMP RALLYGOERS REVEAL WHO THEY WANT AS VICE PRESIDENT

Republican Nevada Senate candidate Sam Brown. (Josh Edelson/Getty Images)

Brown said Nevadans would see a “clear contrast” between his and former President Trump’s America First policies over the next five months, and those of Biden, which he said had led to a worsening border crisis, a deteriorating state of the world, and an economy where prices are too high.

“The solutions are clear. We’ve got to secure our border. We’ve got to go after the cartels. We’ve got to ensure that we’re not allowing people into this country that mean to do harm. We’ve got to make sure that the economy is working for all, that there are good jobs, that we don’t have unnecessary inflation, we have an American energy policy that provides security and lower costs,” Brown told Fox. 

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“This is a future that’s not too far away. We’re going to deliver it after November.”

Brown soundly defeated his main primary rival, former U.S. Ambassador Jeff Gunter, by a significant margin, and will head to the general election with solid backing from Trump and national Republicans, who view the Nevada race as one of their top targets to flip from Democrats.

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.

Rep. Steven Horsford, D-Nev., won his party’s nomination for a pivotal swing district in Tuesday’s primary election. 

The incumbent Democrat managed to fend off a primary challenge from young political newcomer Levy Schultz. 

Schultz challenged the Nevada representative because of what he described as the lack of affordable housing he encountered in Las Vegas. 

SUPREME COURT HISTORICAL SOCIETY BLASTS ‘SURREPTITIOUS’ RECORDING AS DEMS TARGET JUSTICE ALITO

U.S. Rep. Steven Horsford, D-Nev., speaks on infrastructure and climate change during a news conference outside the Capitol on August 23, 2021 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

“The American people should not have to rent the American dream. We should be able to buy it,” he told the Las Vegas Review-Journal earlier this year. 

The challenger’s candidacy was considered a long-shot against Horsford. 

‘LOOSE CANNON’: SENATE DEM ESCALATES ATTACK ON JUSTICE ALITO AFTER SECRET RECORDING

Rep. Steven Horsford (Getty Images)

The Democrat incumbent was first elected to the House in 2012. However, Horsford lost his seat to a Republican competitor after one term in 2014. But, after running again in 2018, he regained his seat and has been serving in it since. 

Nevada’s fourth district is being eyed by Republicans as a prime pick-up opportunity alongside 36 other districts nationwide. 

TRUMP TO MEET WITH HOUSE, SENATE REPUBLICANS IN DC THIS WEEK

Representative Richard Hudson, a Republican from North Carolina, speaks during a news conference following a House Republicans meeting at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Tuesday, March 9, 2021. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

“Republicans are in the majority and on offense. We will grow our House majority by building strong campaigns around talented recruits in these districts who can communicate the dangers of Democrats’ extreme agenda,” National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) Chairman Richard Hudson, R-N.C., said in a statement earlier this year. “These House Democrats should be shaking in their boots.” 

However, this could prove difficult, as non-partisan political handicapper, the Cook Political Report, has rated the race “Likely Democratic.”

MIKE LEE PRAISES TRUMP FOR RESISTING CLINTON LAWFARE, WARNS BIDEN OF SLIPPERY SLOPE

President Biden and former President Trump (AP/Alex Brandon/Julia Nikhinson )

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Horsford does still have to contend with a competitive election landscape in the battleground state. This is magnified by the fact that he has to share the ballot with President Biden, who has racked up historically low approval ratings. 

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.

Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo faced a tough grilling from House GOP lawmakers Tuesday over his handling of COVID-19 in nursing homes during the height of the pandemic. 

Cuomo visited Capitol Hill for a closed-door interview with the House select subcommittee investigating the coronavirus pandemic. 

Lawmakers zeroed in on a March 25, 2020, executive order by the governor that restricted nursing homes from refusing to admit or readmit residents “solely based on confirmed or suspect[ed] diagnosis of COVID-19.” 

A report released in March 2022 by the New York state comptroller found Cuomo’s Health Department “was not transparent in its reporting of COVID-19 deaths in nursing homes” and it “understated the number of deaths at nursing homes by as much as 50%” during some points of the pandemic.

CUOMO FINALLY FORCED TO TELL WHOLE TRUTH ABOUT COVID-19 DECISIONS THAT COST THOUSANDS OF LIVES

Rep. Brad Wenstrup, chairman of the COVID-19 select subcommittee, grilled former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo behind closed doors Tuesday. (Getty Images)

Cuomo has pushed back on these claims, insisting New York’s health department was following Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) guidance issued by the Trump administration before Cuomo’s order. 

A report released in March 2022 by the New York state comptroller found former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s Health Department “was not transparent in its reporting of COVID-19 deaths in nursing homes.” (AP Photo/Richard Drew, File)

In his opening remarks, Cuomo said “any serious review must stop asking political questions and start asking fact-based ones.” He pointed out that New York was “No. 39 in terms of pro rata nursing home deaths [despite the state] being ground zero for COVID.” 

He also accused the Trump administration of targeting Democrat-led states “despite both red and blue states issuing” the same guidelines. 

GOP lawmakers held a post-hearing press conference at which they accused Cuomo of deflecting blame. 

LIBERAL NY TIMES COLUMNIST ADMITS MEDIA, PUBLIC HEALTH WERE ‘TOO DISMISSIVE’ ON LAB LEAK THEORY

“I felt like the governor was defensive throughout most of the day, often putting blame on other people rather than himself. [He] didn’t seem to be taking a lot of responsibility for the things that were happening,” Chair Brad Wenstrup, R-Ohio, said. 

Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., called Cuomo a “phony” and a “fraud” who “put our most vulnerable population at risk, resulting in the death of over 15,000 seniors.

“And it was Andrew Cuomo who covered it up,” Lawler added. “It wasn’t just the directive which was bad enough and idiotic and resulted in the death of the 15,000-plus seniors. It was Andrew Cuomo, for political purposes, who directed the state government to cover up the death toll.” 

Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has been accused of mishandling his state’s response to COVID-19. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File)

GOP conference Chair Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., said Tuesday’s deposition “was a step in delivering accountability and delivering long overdue answers to those families who are still mourning the loss of their loved ones.” 

Speaking to reporters after the deposition, Cuomo said the federal government was ultimately to blame for the severity of the pandemic. 

“We have two very different opinions on what happened during COVID,” Cuomo told a reporter. “I think the federal government failed this nation. And it was abysmal. How did COVID get to the U.S. in December and nobody knew? How did it take so many months before we had … basic testing in place? How did we have a president running around saying, ‘It’s going to be gone when the weather gets warm?’ … who then admits to a reporter that he purposely downplayed it?” 

Rich Azzopardi, a spokesman for Cuomo, told Fox News Digital the governor “presented fact-based evidence that New York, at the end of the day, was the 39th state for pro rata in nursing home deaths in 2020 despite the fact that it started off the hardest hit.” 

“We worked day and night to protect New Yorkers and save lives even though the ‘experts’ kept changing the facts on the ground. We were grappling with international PPE shortages and no national response,” Azzopardi said. “The fact that this partisan farce was allowed to go on, and they continue telling their fact-less stories, especially in order to help their marginal members who weren’t even at the hearing, tells you what a joke this was.” 

Wenstrup subpoenaed Cuomo in March to appear before his committee. A letter accompanying the subpoena said Cuomo’s testimony “is vital to our investigation into the effectiveness of federal guidance and regulations implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic regarding the protection of nursing home residents.”

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“Further, this investigation may inform legislation to enhance the federal scientific guidance process, including the drafting, publication, and implementation of guidances originating from CMS or CDC,” the letter said.

Fox News Digital’s Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report.

Sheri Biggs, a nurse practitioner who won the backing of Gov. Henry McMaster, advanced to a runoff in the crowded race for the Republican nomination to replace outgoing GOP Rep. Jeff Duncan in South Carolina’s 3rd Congressional District.

Biggs was among seven Republicans in contention, but no true frontrunner emerged ahead of the primary.

Biggs, a lieutenant colonel in the Air National Guard ran as a “pro-life, pro-Second Amendment lifelong Republican.”

WIFE OF SOUTH CAROLINA REPUBLICAN CONGRESSMAN FILES FOR DIVORCE, ALLEGES EXTRAMARITAL AFFAIR

Sheri Biggs, who is running for the Republican nomination in South Carolina’s 3rd Congressional District. (Sheri Biggs for Congress)

“I’m running for Congress to continue my lifetime of service and treat Washington’s health problem with bold, conservative, servant leadership,” she said on her campaign website.

Jones had been endorsed by McMaster and had also highlighted her commitment to work with former President Trump, although Trump backed another candidate in the race.

“Sheri Biggs epitomizes the greatness of the people of South Carolina — an unwavering belief in God, a commitment to selfless service and a true resolve to fight for our shared values,” McMaster said in his endorsement. 

“While her distinguished military and health care careers are truly admirable, her passion to help heal our nation’s fiscal, mental and spiritual health problems is exactly what we need representing us in Congress. Sheri Biggs will work with President Trump to secure our border, protect tax dollars, defend our conservative values, keep the promises to our veterans and drain the swamp.”

CRUCIAL PRIMARY RACES TO BE DECIDED TUESDAY, SETTING UP FIGHT FOR BALANCE OF POWER

Duncan decided not to run again for the seat after seven terms. Duncan’s wife filed for divorce last year, accusing him of several affairs.

Rep. Jeff Duncan, R-S.C., walks down the House steps following votes in the Capitol May 25, 2016. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call)

“At some point in a career, one needs to step aside and allow others to bring fresh ideas and abilities into the fight for liberty,” Duncan said in a statement in January.

Trump had backed Pastor Mark Burns who also advanced to the runoff, a longtime supporter, in the race. Former Sen. Lindsey Graham staffer Kevin Bishop, state Rep. Stewart Jones and businessman Franky Franco were among those who had also thrown their hats in the ring. 

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The Democratic primary in the 3rd District is between high school science teacher Frances Guldner and Byron Best, who manages a Sherwin Williams paint store in Greenwood.

The district is a mostly rural area in the northern and western part of the state. A Democrat has not won the district since Graham flipped the seat in 1994.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

For a second straight election, Republican Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina has survived a serious primary challenge. 

The Associated Press on Tuesday projects that Mace will win renomination in South Carolina’s competitive Low Country-based 1st Congressional District by defeating Catherine Templeton, a former director of South Carolina’s labor agency who ran unsuccessfully for governor in 2018, and Marine Corps veteran Bill Young.

Templeton was backed by millions spent by outside groups aligned with former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.

Mace, who was first elected to the House in 2020, survived a primary challenge against a former President Trump-backed Republican two years ago. The former president had targeted Mace after she blamed him for the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol by Trump supporters aiming to upend congressional certification of President Biden’s 2020 election victory.

HEAD HERE FOR THE LATEST FOX NEWS PRIMARY NIGHT RESULTS

Rep. Nancy Mace speaks at the 13th annual South Carolina Prayer Breakfast on July 26, 2023, in Washington, D.C. (U.S. Senator Tim Scott)

Fast-forward two years, and Mace now has Trump’s backing after she endorsed the former president and campaigned for him earlier this year in South Carolina’s crucial GOP presidential primary.

However, unlike two years ago, when then-Speaker McCarthy had her back, the now-former House speaker targeted Mace, who last year was one of eight House Republicans to break ranks and vote to oust McCarthy. The former speaker is seeking revenge as he works to defeat the eight Republican lawmakers.

NANCY MACE SPARS WITH BILL MAHER, EXPLAINS HER FLIP ON TRUMP

Around $9 million was shelled out to run ads in the primary, according to the national ad tracking firm AdImapct. Nearly half of the money came from McCarthy aligned outside groups that targeted Mace.

Then-Rep. Kevin McCarthy, a Republican from California, was voted out of his role as House speaker. (Nathan Howard/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Mace, who was also backed by Republican Gov. Henry McMaster and current House Speaker Mike Johnson, had roughly $3 million in outside spending on her behalf.

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Templeton was supported by former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and Rep. Joe Wilson of the neighboring 2nd Congressional District.

Mace has faced controversy as several of her congressional staffers quit late last year and earlier this year. Additionally, a former Mace chief of staff briefly launched a primary challenge against his former boss.

If none of the three candidates in the GOP primary had won a majority in Tuesday’s contest, the top two contenders would have faced off in a runoff in two weeks.

Businessman Michael B. Moore and veteran Mac Deford were vying for the Democrat nod in the 1st District.

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.

Trump-endorsed U.S. Senate candidate Trent Staggs closed out his time on stage at a Republican primary debate Monday night by accusing his opponent, Rep. John Curtis, R-Utah, of insider trading.

On March 4, 2020, Abbott Laboratories — a medical device company — was awarded federal funding to develop a COVID test. Curtis purchased stock in the company that same day, Staggs said. 

“This is the problem in Congress at a time when somebody should be looking out for their constituents. They end up looking out for their own profit,” Staggs, who currently serves as mayor of Riverton, said. 

TRUMP ENDORSES GOP UTAH SENATE CANDIDATE LOOKING TO REPLACE ROMNEY: ‘HE WILL BE A GREAT SENATOR’

(Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images/Rick Bowmer)

Staggs continued saying that he signed a contract with Utah and would “ban the trading of individual stocks for Congress and their families.”

“I want to also stop members of Congress from retiring and becoming lobbyists and enriching themselves further,” he said. 

After Staggs’ closing statements, debate moderator Glen Mills said they were running out of time and would have to wrap up the debate. Curtis shot back, “You have to let me respond to that.” 

Mills said, “As fast as possible.”

“That is such a low shot,” Curtis said. “You wait until I have no response. You throw something out that I can’t respond to. You’ve accused me of a felony here tonight. You better have very good evidence, and I’d like to challenge you to produce that evidence that somehow I’ve committed a felony.”

UTAH GOP CHOOSE TRUMP-BACKED CANDIDATE AS NOMINEE TO REPLACE SEN. ROMNEY, BUT PRIMARY STILL TO COME

Riverton, Utah, Mayor Trent Staggs, a U.S. Senate candidate endorsed by former President Donald Trump. (AP Photo/Hannah Schoenbaum)

The Salt Lake Tribune confirmed Curtis bought stocks that went up due to the COVID-19 epidemic, according to financial disclosures. When questioned by reporters, Curtis told the paper at the time, “The real story isn’t as damning.”

In announcing his candidacy in the race, Staggs became the first person to publicly pose a challenge to Romney, who has angered many voters within his own party for his reasoning and support for certain policies and bills. (Trent Staggs)

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Curtis stated that most of the stock purchases, including those of Abbott Laboratories and BlackRock Inc., were executed by a mutual fund manager without him knowing. The purchases were made on significant occasions, such as Abbott’s approval for a COVID-19 test and BlackRock’s role in directing bond purchases when the economy hit a downward spiral.

Staggs, who is running to replace retiring Sen. Mitt Romney, gained notoriety in 2020 for his opposition to mask mandates amid the coronavirus pandemic.

In addition to Trump’s blessing, Staggs enjoys the endorsement of Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky.

President Biden‘s remarks during an interview last year in which he said he trusts his son, Hunter, had social media users reacting Tuesday, hours after the younger Biden was convicted on all charges in a gun case. 

Biden spoke with MSNBC on a variety of issues during an interview that aired on May 5, 2023. In the last seconds of the interview on “The 11th Hour with Stephanie Ruhle,” Biden was asked how potential criminal charges against Hunter Biden would impact his presidency. 

“First of all, my son’s done nothing wrong,” Biden answered. “I trust him. I have faith in him and it impacts my presidency by making me feel proud of him.”

PRESIDENT BIDEN REACTS TO SON HUNTER’S GUILTY VERDICT IN GUN TRIAL: ‘I AM ALSO A DAD’

President Joe Biden talks with his son Hunter Biden and wife Melissa Cohen Biden, and grandson Beau, as he arrives at Delaware Air National Guard Base in New Castle, Del., on Tuesday. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

On Tuesday, a jury in Delaware convicted Hunter Biden of lying on a federal firearm form in October 2018 when he was asked if he was an unlawful user of a firearm or addicted to controlled substances during a gun purchase. 

One social media user reacting to the video clip simply posted: “Ooops.”

“Hunter is the smartest man he knows!” wrote another. 

“Biden really is the opposite of Trump: he gets everything wrong,” another wrote. 

On Tuesday, President Biden stood behind his son after the verdict was delivered. 

HUNTER BIDEN FOUND GUILTY OF ALL CHARGES IN GUN TRIAL

Joe Biden and his son, Hunter Biden. (Getty Images)

“As I said last week, I am the president, but I am also a Dad. Jill and I love our son, and we are so proud of the man he is today,” Biden said. “So many families who have had loved ones battle addiction understand the feeling of pride seeing someone you love come out the other side and be so strong and resilient in recovery.”

Biden has repeatedly said he would not use the powers of the presidency to pardon a guilty verdict for his son. He seemed to stand by that vow in his statement, saying he “will accept the outcome of this case and will continue to respect the judicial process as Hunter considers an appeal.”

A court sketch depicts Hunter Biden’s federal trial in Wilmington, Delaware on Monday, June 10, 2024. (William J. Hennessy Jr.)

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Biden flew to Delaware on Tuesday evening to meet with his son. In a separate case in California, Hunter Biden faces tax fraud charges for not paying $1.4 million in taxes from 2016 to 2019. He has pleaded not guilty in that case. 

Attorney General Merrick Garland is fighting back.

The Republican-led House of Representatives intends to hold him in contempt of Congress this week – if it can muster the votes. Remember, it’s all about the math.

A senior House leadership source told Fox the vote would be Wednesday. But when asked, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., wouldn’t quite commit to that.

Garland was mum when yours truly pursued him down a hallway before a hearing with the House Judiciary Committee in the Rayburn House Office Building – even absorbing a gratuitous elbow from his FBI security detail before he ducked into an anteroom.

SOCIAL MEDIA ERUPTS OVER HUNTER BIDEN GUILTY VERDICT: ‘THE LAW IS THE LAW’

“Are you going to kind of punch back against what they’re trying to do on contempt?” I asked Garland as we walked briskly down the corridor. 

No response.

“Are you going to kind of punch back against what they’re trying to do on contempt?”

Silence.

“Do you feel this has been an abuse of the process when it comes to contempt?”

See above.

Attorney General Merrick Garland testifies during a House Judiciary Committee hearing on the Department of Justice, on Tuesday, June 4, 2024, on Capitol Hill in Washington.  (AP/Jacquelyn Martin)

But when House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, gaveled down the hearing, the bookish Garland threw the verbal book at Republicans. Garland was furious when it came to suppositions that his department had it in for former President Trump and was biased against Republicans.

“These attacks have not and they will not influence our decision making. I view contempt as a serious matter,” said Garland. “I will not be intimidated. And the Justice Department will not be intimidated. We will continue to work to do our jobs free from political influence. And we will not back down from defending democracy.” 

“Lawfare” is the GOP’s new mantra when it comes to Garland, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and Fulton County prosecutor Fani Willis. In fact, Republicans accused Garland’s Justice Department of teaming up with local authorities to target Mr. Trump.

Jordan threw a bombardment of verbal haymakers at Garland, ticking through a host of grievances against the Attorney General in hopes that one might land.

“This is the same Department of Justice whose Civil Rights Division has done nothing to address the attacks on Jewish students at college campuses. This is the same Department of Justice who can’t tell us who planted the pipe bombs on January 6th. Who leaked the Dobbs draft opinion. And who put cocaine in the White House,” charged Jordan. “Many American believe there’s now a double standard in our justice system. They believe that because there is.”

RUNNING FOR CONGRESS: POOCH LEADS POLICE, REPORTER AND SENATE STAFFERS ON HAIRY RUSH-HOUR CHASE AROUND CAPITOL

“They see that Lady Justice’s blindfold has slipped off,” tacked on Rep. Ben Cline, R-Va. 

But Democrats were having none of Republican conjecture about a two-tiered justice system. 

In fact, Garland characterized GOP allegations of prejudice as a “conspiracy theory.” 

“An attack on the rule of law tears down people’s confidence in the basic fundamental element of our democracy,” declared Garland.

(Aaron Schwartz/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., tangled with the attorney general over providing “correspondence between the department and Alvin Bragg’s office.”

“You lodge this attack that it’s a conspiracy theory that this is coordinated lawfare against (former President) Trump,” said Gaetz. “But when you say ‘we’ll take your request and work it through the DoJ accommodation process,’ then you’re actually advancing the very dangerous conspiracy theory that you’re concerned about.”

Democrats chided Republicans who argued that the fix was in on behalf of Hunter Biden – noting that the president’s own Justice Department prosecuted the first son. That’s to say nothing of ongoing prosecutions involving Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., and Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Tex.

Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Tenn., suggested that Democrats had concrete evidence that it didn’t tilt the tables against Republicans. 

“I notice Mr. Gaetz, who took you on first, is not here now,” observed Cohen to Garland. “And that’s unfortunate because he is living testament to the fact and direct evidence that you have not weaponized the Justice Department. He was investigated for sex trafficking. And while many expected a prosecution, you chose not to prosecute this very active Republican.”

Democrats certainly didn’t want to see Hunter Biden – the president’s son – convicted on firearms charges. But the conviction of Hunter gives Democrats an opportunity to argue that the GOP narrative of an uneven justice system fails to stand up.

“When Donald Trump was convicted, we saw an immediate reaction from Republican leaders. It was like within seconds that this trial is a sham. The judge is corrupt. The jury is rigged. And the contrast today is just staggering,” said Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass., the top Democrat on the House Rules Committee. “But when a Democrat is convicted – the president’s son, no less – that’s justice. Give me a break.”

SENATE DEM ESCALATES ATTACK ON JUSTICE ALITO AFTER SECRET RECORDING

Mike Johnson denied that the Hunter Biden conviction undermined GOP claims. 

“It doesn’t. Every case is different. And clearly the evidence was overwhelming here. I don’t think that’s the case in the (President) Trump trials. And all the charges that have been brought against him have been obviously brought for political purposes. Hunter Biden is a separate incident,” said Johnson.

If Republicans forge ahead with contempt, it’s because they have the votes – despite their narrow majority. Moderates now appear to be willing to find Garland in contempt of Congress.

“I think this administration has sought to run out the clock and avoid the responsibility,” said Rep. Marc Molinaro, R-N.Y. “I don’t have to agree or disagree with a president to know that Congress has a responsibility to provide the checks, balances and oversight. And this administration should comply with it, whether they like it or not. I’ll certainly support a contempt vote.”

“He has a responsibility to comply with lawful subpoenas,” said Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y. “He is picking and choosing what he wants to comply with.”

(AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

The House voted in 2012 to hold then-Attorney General Eric Holder in contempt of Congress. House Republicans accused Holder of withholding documents related to a gun-running investigation called Fast and Furious. The House voted 255-67 to hold Holder in criminal contempt. Two Republicans voted nay. Seventeen Democrats voted yes. But most Democrats sat out the vote in protest. 

Don’t expect any Democrats to join the effort this year. And the DoJ won’t prosecute Garland.

Republicans know that. And while many want to stand up for the institution, many would prefer to have the issue heading into November. They’ll point to the Biden Justice Department failing to prosecute Garland for not cooperating with Congress. Yet the DoJ prosecuted former Trump aides Steve Bannon and Peter Navarro for failing to comply with subpoenas related to January 6.

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Republicans will remind their voters of that. And they were sure to threaten Garland in case former President Trump returns to the White House. 

“You know what happened to Peter Navarro and Steve Bannon when they decided to defy a subpoena of the Congress?” asked Rep. Dan Bishop, R-N.C. “Mr. Navarro’s in prison.”

Welcome to Fox News’ Politics newsletter with the latest political news from Washington D.C. and updates from the 2024 campaign trail. 

What’s happening…

– Trump within striking distance of Biden in blue-leaning state

– Bragg, Colangelo to testify on Capitol Hill

– Biden to ban medical debt from credit reports

Hunter Biden found guilty on all counts 

First son Hunter Biden was found guilty on all charges in his historic criminal case focused on his purchase of a firearm in 2018. Though the maximum sentence for his federal charges adds 25 years in prison, as a first-time offender, Biden is highly unlikely to receive that much time behind bars.

Hunter Biden departs from federal court, Tuesday, June 4, 2024, in Wilmington, Del.  (Matt Slocum)

The jury deliberated for a total of three hours between Monday afternoon and Tuesday morning. 

Hunter Biden was found guilty of making a false statement in the purchase of a gun, making a false statement related to information required to be kept by a federally licensed gun dealer, and possession of a gun by a person who is an unlawful user of or addicted to a controlled substance.

“I am more grateful today for the love and support I experienced this last week from Melissa, my family, my friends, and my community than I am disappointed by the outcome. Recovery is possible by the grace of God, and I am blessed to experience that gift one day at a time,” Hunter Biden said in a statement following the verdict. 

FIRST SON GUILTY

‘THE LAW IS THE LAW’: Social media erupts over Hunter Biden guilty verdict: Covers the Biden family’s ‘real crimes’ …Read more

‘POLITICS PLAYED NO PART’: Hunter Biden trial juror says he didn’t buy defense’s 7-Eleven story …Read more

‘STUNNED’: Hunter Biden verdict ‘stunned’ his inner circle, a ‘clear blow’ to the president: ABC anchor …Read more

ONE DOWN, ONE TO GO: One trial down, one to go: Hunter Biden faces trial on federal tax charges next …Read more

TRANSCONTINENTAL FLIGHTS: Democratic Party to reimburse WH for Jill Biden flights between France and Delaware for Hunter trial …Read more

FAMILY ‘CORRUPTION’: Republicans vow to continue pursuing ‘Biden crime family’ after Hunter Biden’s guilty verdict …Read more

White House

NOBODY HOME: President Biden appears to freeze at White House Juneteenth event …Read more

HELP OR HANDOUT?: Biden admin to ban medical debt from credit reports, loan decisions: reports …Read more

NOT BUYING IT: Biden student loan handouts get approval from just 3 in 10 Americans …Read more

‘MOST RELIGIOUS PRESIDENT’: ‘View’ host claims Biden is the ‘most religious president’ in her lifetime …Read more

Tales from the Campaign Trail

WITHIN STRIKING DISTANCE: Trump within striking distance of Biden in competitive blue-leaning state: poll …Read more

MAGA CLASH: Ugly GOP primary comes to an end as swing state voters set to decide who will face tough Democrat incumbent …Read more

‘REAL TEST’: Stephanopoulos gives debate advice, urges CNN to grill Trump about 2020 election during upcoming debate …Read more

‘I’M WORRIED ABOUT ME’: Maddow worried she’ll be put in one of Trump’s ‘massive camps’ …Read more

Capitol Hill

‘KILLING AMERICANS’: Conservative group calls on Senate Dems to oppose illegal immigrant voting in scathing ad …Read more

PUBLIC TESTIMONY: Bragg, Colangelo to testify at House Judiciary Committee hearing one day after Trump sentencing …Read more

‘CONGRESS MUST ACT’: Sen. Booker tells Colbert that he does ‘not trust’ Trump-appointed judges ‘to secure our rights’ …Read more

ALITO ATTACK: Senate Dem escalates attack on Justice Alito after secret recording …Read more

Across America

‘COMPLETELY BASELESS’: DOJ denies collusion with Bragg’s office on Trump prosecution in new letter …Read more

BIG SPENDER: New docs show Bragg spent $1M on attorneys to address House probe of Trump case amid city budget cuts …Read more

TIME WILL TELL: UN Security Council passes US-backed Gaza cease-fire proposal …Read more

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.

President Biden could face major “political blowback” should he ultimately decide to pardon his son, Hunter, following his conviction Tuesday on federal charges related to the purchase of a firearm, elections experts tell Fox News Digital.

Biden vowed to “accept the outcome” of the case following the verdict, and has said he will not be issuing a pardon, but considering his son faces a maximum of 25 years in prison, some say the possibility of the president changing his mind wouldn’t be that far-fetched.

“I don’t think that American voters really care very much about the gun charges. What they care about is the influence peddling, and these business dealings that have been covert. So, I think with a pardon, that immediately feeds into how there is impropriety going on with this family,” Republican strategist Tricia McLaughlin told Fox. 

HUNTER BIDEN FOUND GUILTY ON ALL COUNTS IN GUN TRIAL

President Biden and his son, Hunter (Getty Images)

“I don’t even know if people are going to be paying attention at all to these gun charges, but I think that there would be major political backlash,” she said, adding the trial had already led to more questions surrounding Hunter’s infamous laptop.

The laptop was entered as evidence in the trial by prosecutors last week, further proof that it actually exists and was, in fact, not a tool of Russian disinformation as was suggested by Biden’s 2020 presidential campaign and former Biden-supporting intelligence community officials.

“We know without a doubt the laptop exists, but I think that this just kind of unearths that issue even further, and the same would be said for a pardon, especially if Joe Biden said the laptop didn’t exist, and called talk of a pardon Republican talking points,” McLaughlin said. “If both those things turn out to be true, Biden has zero credibility, especially when it comes to dealings with his own family.”

EX-INTEL OFFICIALS DOUBLE DOWN ON SIGNING ‘PATRIOTIC’ LETTER AGAINST HUNTER BIDEN LAPTOP: ‘WOEFULLY IGNORANT’

Republican strategist Erin Perrine told Fox that Biden’s “hemorrhaging support from every corner of the Democratic base” meant Hunter’s conviction should be “the least of his worries,” but she agreed with McLaughlin that a pardon would highlight accusations of impropriety within the Biden family.

“Even the possibility that Biden could change his mind and pardon his son only highlights what Republicans have been saying about an unequal justice system and a double standard of justice for Democrats and their familial felons,” she said. 

“The idea that a pardon is a possibility is why Americans are appalled at how Biden has weaponized the judicial system.”

FORMER OBAMA OFFICIAL GIVE ONE-WORD ANSWER WHEN ASKED IF HE WOULD RETRACT ATTACK OVER HUNTER BIDEN LAPTOP

President Biden delivers a speech on Friday, June 7, as he stands next to the Pointe du Hoc monument in Normandy, France. (AP/Evan Vucci)

Political commentator Kristin Tate had a slightly different take. She told Fox a pardon flip-flip would “make very little difference” to Biden politically, but that “Biden apologists” would claim the trial was politically motivated, essentially providing cover for the president if he were to pardon his son.

She also argued there was no way Hunter would spend any significant time in jail, regardless of any potential pardon, “even though he should.” 

“There is a two-tiered justice system in the United States. We saw that with Hillary Clinton when she flagrantly broke the law, but nothing was done. Contrast that with what’s happening to Donald Trump with very questionable charges. Mark my words, Hunter is not going to jail,” Tate said. 

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“The justice system in the United States has been completely weaponized and politicized, and it’s become a dangerous joke,” she added.

Hunter was found guilty on all charges in the case, including making false statements in the purchase of a gun, making a false statement related to information required to be kept by a federally licensed gun dealer, and possession of a gun by a person who is an unlawful user of or addicted to a controlled substance.

The jury deliberated for a total of three hours between Monday afternoon and Tuesday morning. 

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.

Following the historic conviction of a sitting president’s son, some legal experts pointed to Hunter Biden’s own memoir of his drug addiction recovery as “powerful” evidence for the jury to convict him.

Hunter Biden was found guilty on Tuesday of making a false statement in the purchase of a gun, making a false statement related to information required to be kept by a federally licensed gun dealer, and possession of a gun by a person who is an unlawful user of or addicted to a controlled substance.

After a week of witness testimony, the 12 jurors deliberated a total of three hours between Monday afternoon and Tuesday morning. 

Legal experts speaking to Fox News Digital pointed to Hunter Biden’s 2021 memoir titled, “Beautiful Things: A Memoir,” chronicling his battle with addiction to illegal drugs, which they argued likely served as compelling evidence to the jury. The autobiographical book was played aloud in the courtroom, narrated in Hunter Biden’s voice as he was sitting in the courtroom. 

HUNTER BIDEN ‘DISAPPOINTED’ BY GUILTY VERDICT, TRUMP CAMPAIGN CALLS GUN TRIAL A ‘DISTRACTION’

Hunter Biden, son of U.S. President Joe Biden, holds a copy of his memoir ‘Beautiful Things’ as he and his wife Melissa Cohen Biden depart the federal court during his trial on criminal gun charges, in Wilmington, Delaware, U.S., June 5, 2024.  (REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque)

“A lot of cases you’ll have admissions by defendant, you know, by police interrogation or whatever. And those are quite powerful. I always liked having them in a case,” Jonathan Fahey, a former federal prosecutor and white-collar crime attorney, told Fox News Digital in an interview.

Prosecutors referred to several excerpts of the book during witness testimony, including references to “crackhead wisdom,” and the “ability to find crack in any town.” 

“Crack takes you into the darkest recesses of your soul, as well as the darkest corners of every community,” Hunter Biden wrote in the book.

“When I could, I tried to buy from a user instead of a dealer,” he wrote. “I could get off a plan in Timbuktu and find some crack,” Biden writes in the book. He describes how he could be a “crack daddy” to Washington, D.C. drug dealers because his addiction was so strong.

The prosecution had to prove that Biden was addicted to illegal drugs when he purchased a handgun, and that he lied on a federal firearm form, known as ATF Form 4473, in October 2018 when he ticked a box labeled “No” when asked if he is an unlawful user of a firearm or addicted to controlled substances. 

HUNTER BIDEN FOUND GUILTY ON ALL COUNTS IN GUN TRIAL

Hunter Biden arrives at federal court with his wife, Melissa Cohen Biden, Wednesday, June 5, 2024, in Wilmington, Delaware.  (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

“But when you have their admissions, where they’re not being interrogated, when it’s just by their own volition, in his case, trying to sell a book or as part of his book — I think it’s pretty powerful to then say, you know, essentially I wasn’t candid my book, and I’m candid now,” Fahey said of Biden’s defense strategy.

“I do think it is quite compelling that you have his own words,” Fahey said, adding that testimony from close family members who “corroborated” each other also likely impacted the jury.

John Malcolm, a former federal prosecutor in Atlanta, said he was not surprised a verdict was reached quickly, saying “the evidence of Hunter Biden’s guilt was overwhelming.” 

“That evidence included not only contemporaneous text messages to and from Hunter himself, but testimony from people who care about Hunter Biden, but who had to admit that he was in the throes of addiction at the time he made the choice to purchase a firearm, as well as testimony from Hunter himself in the form of excerpts from his book in which he chronicled his struggles with addiction at the time he purchased the firearm,” Malcolm said. 

HUNTER BIDEN WILL NOT TESTIFY IN HIS CRIMINAL GUN TRIAL

A court sketch depicts Hunter Biden listening during his federal trial in Wilmington, Delaware on Monday, June 10, 2024. (William J. Hennessy Jr.)

“The only open question was whether the jurors would ignore the evidence and the instructions from the judge and engage in jury nullification because of the fact that he is a Biden in a small state in which the Bidens have dominated the political landscape for decades,” Malcolm said. 

Throughout the trial, members of Biden’s family, including first lady Jill Biden, were present in the courtroom. 

“The members of the jury, to their credit, managed to set that aside and focused on the task at hand,” Malcolm said. 

“I think it was an accumulation. There’s not necessarily one smoking gun so to speak,” Jim Trusty, a former federal prosecutor and former lawyer for former President Donald Trump, told Fox News Digital, adding that Biden’s memoir was “a big piece of evidence.” 

“They started with that for a reason,” he said. 

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Hunter Biden reacted to the guilty verdict on Tuesday in a statement saying, “I am more grateful today for the love and support I experienced this last week from Melissa, my family, my friends, and my community than I am disappointed by the outcome.”

“Recovery is possible by the grace of God, and I am blessed to experience that gift one day at a time,” he added.

Fox News Digital’s Emma Colton contributed to this report. 

A Republican hasn’t carried Minnesota in a presidential election since President Richard Nixon’s 1972 landslide re-election, over a half-century ago.

But a new poll in Minnesota shows a competitive race between President Biden and former President Trump in their 2024 election rematch.

The president stands at 45% support among likely voters in Minnesota, with Trump at 41% in a poll conducted June 3-5 for the Star Tribune, MPR News and KARE 11.

CLICK HERE FOR THE LATEST FOX NEWS POLLING IN THE 2024 ELECTION 

Former President Trump headlines the Minnesota GOP’s annual Lincoln Reagan fundraising dinner, on May 17, 2024, in St. Paul.  (AP)

Democrat turned independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. stood at 6% support in the survey, with 2% backing “someone else” if the election were held today.

Trump was narrowly edged in Minnesota in the 2016 election by 1.5 points by Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton. But four years later, Biden carried the state by seven points as he defeated Trump and won the White House.

“We’re going to win this state,” Trump predicted last month in a speech as he headlined the state GOP’s annual Lincoln Reagan fundraising dinner in St. Paul, Minnesota’s capital city.

The poll pointed to a significant enthusiasm gap, with 63% of Trump supporters saying they were “very enthusiastic” about casting a ballot for their candidate, compared to 31% of voters backing the president.

Eight hundred registered voters in Minnesota were surveyed in the poll, with an overall sampling error of plus or minus 3.4 percentage points.

TRUMP SWING THROUGH BLUE BASTION PAYS OFF AS HE TAPS POLITICAL ATM

Seven crucial swing states that decided the 2020 election (Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, which were narrowly won by Biden, and North Carolina, which Trump carried by a razor-thin margin) will likely once again in the 2024 rematch. But both campaigns see opportunities to expand the map.

At a closed-door Republican National Committee retreat for top-dollar donors earlier this spring at a resort in Palm Beach, Florida, senior Trump campaign advisers Susie Wiles and Chris LaCivita and veteran pollster Tony Fabrizio spotlighted internal surveys that suggested both “Minnesota & Virginia are clearly in play.”

“In both states, Donald Trump finds himself in positions to flip key electoral votes in his favor,” the survey, which was shared with Fox News, emphasizes. 

And both states have sizable populations of rural White voters without college degrees who disproportionately support the former president.

President Biden delivers remarks at the Kempsville Recreation Center on Feb. 28, 2023, in Virginia Beach, Virginia. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Biden’s campaign disagrees that either Minnesota or Virginia are up for grabs.

While noting that they are “not taking any state or any vote for granted,” Biden campaign battleground states director Dan Kanninen told reporters last month that “we don’t see polls that are six or seven months out from a general election, head-to-head numbers certainly, as any more predictive than a weather report is six or seven months out.”

Kanninen highlighted that the campaign has teams on the ground in both states engaging voters.

WHAT THE LATEST FOX NEWS BIDEN-TRJMP POLL IN VIRGINIA SHOWS 

“We feel strongly the Biden-Harris coalition in both Minnesota and Virginia, which has been strong in the midterms and off-year elections, will continue to be strong for us in the fall of 2024,” he added.

And Biden campaign spokesperson Lauren Hitt, pointing to the president’s current fundraising dominance and ground-game advantage in the key battlegrounds, argued that “Trump’s team has so little campaign or infrastructure to speak of they’re resorting to leaking memos that say ‘the polls we paid for show us winning.'” 

But the latest Fox News poll in Virginia indicated Biden and Trump are deadlocked in Virginia. 

The survey, conducted June 1-4, showed the Democratic president and his Republican predecessor in the White House each with 48% support in a head-to-head match.

In a multi-candidate race, Biden stands at 42% and Trump at 41%, with Democrat-turned-independent Kennedy at 9% and Green Party candidate Jill Stein and independent Cornel West each at 2%.

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It’s been two decades since a Republican carried Virginia in the race for the White House. 

You have to go back to President George W. Bush, who won the commonwealth in his 2004 re-election victory.

“Let’s just begin by remembering where we were in 2020 when Joe Biden won Virginia by 10 points, and the fact that we’re having this discussion is a huge turn of events,” Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin said last week in a Fox News Digital interview in New Orleans, as he attended a Republican Governors Association (RGA) conference.

Youngkin emphasized that “we’re here in June and there’s still a lot of water to go under the bridge, but Virginia looks like it’s in play and that’s pretty exciting.”

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.

Former President Trump will be in the nation’s capital on Thursday visiting both House and Senate Republicans, Fox News Digital has learned.

Trump will be at the Capitol Hill Club that morning, a popular members-only haunt for House Republicans, three sources familiar with planning told Fox News Digital.

An invitation sent to senior House GOP aides on Tuesday morning and obtained by Fox News Digital shows that Trump is coming on a joint invitation from House leadership – Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., and House GOP Conference Chair Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y.

Meanwhile, Senate GOP Conference Chair John Barrasso’s office confirmed to Fox News Digital on Monday evening that Trump will also be addressing Republicans in the upper chamber on Thursday.

ABC’S STEPHANOPOULOS CLAIMS AIRING TRUMP INTERVIEWS LIVE IS ‘JOURNALISTIC MALPRACTICE’

Former President Trump is meeting with congressional Republicans on Thursday. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

“I’ve invited President Trump to meet with members of our Republican Conference,” Barrasso wrote to fellow Senate Republicans in a message obtained by Fox News Digital. “I believe it will be helpful to hear directly from President Trump about his plans for the summer and to also share our ideas for a strategic governing agenda in 2025.”

It’s not immediately clear when that meeting will take place, but a source familiar with planning told Fox News Digital it would be at the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) headquarters. 

Trump’s meeting location with House Republicans is traditionally their favored spot when discussing political issues.

DEMOCRATS ‘FEAR’ THIS POSSIBLE TRUMP VP PICK WHO ‘COULD SPELL THE END FOR BIDEN’: INSIDERS

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson is an ally of former President Trump. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

House GOP leaders have been almost completely in lockstep with Trump since Johnson took the speaker’s gavel in late October, with multiple people previously telling Fox News Digital that Johnson keeps Trump in the loop before announcing major House agenda items.

Trump has a markedly different relationship with the Senate’s top Republican, Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., whose public relationship with Trump ruptured in the wake of the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot.

Like other GOP congressional leaders, however, McConnell is endorsing Trump for re-election this November.

TRUMP RILES UP FIERY SWING STATE CROWD IN FIRST RALLY SINCE NEW YORK CONVICTION

Senate GOP Conference Chair John Barrasso invited Trump to speak to his chamber. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Trump’s visit comes as he continues to both shape his own presidential re-election and GOP races across the country. 

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After meeting with congressional Republicans on Thursday, Trump will have another sitdown with Johnson and National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Richard Hudson, R-N.C., on Monday, a source familiar with planning told Fox News Digital.

Fox News Digital reached out to spokespeople for Trump, Johnson and McConnell for comment.

WILMINGTON, Del. – First son Hunter Biden was found guilty on all charges in his historic criminal case focused on his purchase of a firearm in 2018. 

Hunter Biden faced a trial this month that lasted more than a week and included emotional testimony from members of his family, including daughter Naomi Biden, ex-wife Kathleen Buhle and sister-in-law turned girlfriend, Hallie Biden. 

Prosecutors worked to prove that Hunter Biden lied on a federal firearm form, known as ATF Form 4473, in October 2018 when he ticked a box labeled “No” when asked if he is an unlawful user of a firearm or addicted to controlled substances. Hunter Biden purchased the gun from a store called StarQuest Shooters & Survival Supply in Wilmington.

Hunter Biden departs from federal court, Tuesday, June 4, 2024, in Wilmington, Del.  (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Hunter Biden faced charges of making a false statement in the purchase of a gun, making a false statement related to information required to be kept by a federally licensed gun dealer, and possession of a gun by a person who is an unlawful user of or addicted to a controlled substance.

HUNTER BIDEN TRIAL ENTERS DAY 5 AFTER TESTIMONY FROM SISTER-IN-LAW-TURNED-GIRLFRIEND: ‘PANICKED’

He pleaded not guilty in the case.

After the verdict was read, Hunter Biden was seen smiling in the courtroom. He did not show signs of emotion, but hugged his attorney Abbe Lowell and other members of his defense team. Hunter Biden kissed his wife and walked out of the courtroom. 

His uncle, James Biden, appeared to look angry or upset. 

Special Counsel David Weiss, who brought the charges against the first son, was not sitting in the courtroom when the verdict was read. 

First Lady Jill Biden also was not in the courtroom for the verdict. 

Hunter Biden has a well-documented history of drug abuse, which was most notably documented in his 2021 memoir, “Beautiful Things,” which walks readers through his previous need to smoke crack cocaine every 20 minutes, how his addiction was so prolific that he referred to himself as a “crack daddy” to drug dealers, and anecdotes revolving around drug deals, such as a Washington, D.C., crack dealer Biden nicknamed “Bicycles.”

His defense team, led by attorney Abbe Lowell, did not dispute Hunter Biden’s long history with substance abuse, which also includes an addiction to alcohol, instead arguing that on the day Hunter Biden purchased the Cobra Colt .38, he did not consider himself an active drug addict, citing the first son’s sting in rehab ahead of the October 2018 purchase. 

A court sketch depicts Naomi Biden’s testimony during Hunter Biden’s federal trial in Wilmington, Delaware on Friday, June 7, 2024. (William J. Hennessy Jr.)

Prosecutors, however, argued that Hunter Biden’s addiction to crack cocaine occurred both before, during and after the purchase of the handgun. Just one day after the gun purchase, prosecutors showed the court, Hunter Biden texted Hallie Biden that he was “waiting for a dealer named Mookie.” A day after that text, he texted that he was “sleeping on a car smoking crack on 4th Street and Rodney” in Wilmington. 

HUNTER BIDEN TRIAL ENTERS DAY 4 AFTER WILD TESTIMONY FROM EXES ON RAMPANT DRUG USE, TRASHED HOTEL ROOMS

The verdict marks an end to the whirlwind and at times emotional trial. Last week, Hunter Biden’s defense team called his daughter, Naomi Biden, to the witness stand, with the first son appearing to dab his eyes when his daughter first walked into the courtroom. 

The first granddaughter, who told the court she was “nervous” amid the testimony, told the court that she was aware of her father’s addiction to drugs but said she had never witnessed him use drugs, namely crack cocaine. 

Naomi Biden walked the court through a California trip she took in August 2018 to visit her father amid his stint at a rehab facility. She said she met with Hunter Biden, his sober coach, alongside her then-boyfriend and eventual husband, Peter Neal, for lunch at a coffee shop, noting she was proud of her father for his work on getting sober. 

HUNTER BIDEN TRIAL ENTERS 3RD DAY WITH CROSS-EXAMINATION OF FBI AGENT

A court sketch depicts Naomi Biden’s testimony during Hunter Biden’s federal trial in Wilmington, Delaware on Friday, June 7, 2024. (William J. Hennessy Jr.)

The trial also included testimony from Hallie Biden, Beau Biden’s widow, who began a romantic relationship with her brother-in-law, Hunter Biden, in 2015. Hallie Biden, who testified under immunity, walked the jury through the rise and fall of their relationship, including when she first discovered crack at her home and had to google what the substance was because she had never seen it before. Biden first introduced her to crack, which she also smoked before becoming sober in August 2018, she told the court. 

“It was a terrible experience I went through, and I was embarrassed and ashamed. … I regret that period of my life,” Hallie Biden told the court on Thursday about her use of crack cocaine. 

The widowed mother of two was joined in court by her husband, John Hopkins Anning, whom she married the weekend prior to testifying. 

‘LIKE A SON’: FORMER TOP BIDEN ADVISER WITH DEEP BUSINESS TIES TO CHINA SPOTTED INSIDE HUNTER BIDEN GUN TRIAL

Biden’s ex-wife, Kathleen Buhle, also delivered short testimony toward the start of the trial. She told the court that she first discovered her then-husband’s crack cocaine addiction in 2015, when she found a crack pipe on the side porch of their home in Washington, D.C. The couple was married for more than 20 years — divorcing in 2017 — and share three adult daughters. 

Hunter Biden’s former wife, Kathleen Buhle, departs the federal courthouse after taking the stand during the trial of Hunter Biden, son of U.S. President Joe Biden, on criminal gun charges in Wilmington, Delaware, U.S., June 5, 2024.  (REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque)

The first son was joined in court by family, friends and Biden family allies each day in court, most notably by his stepmother, first lady Jill Biden, as well as Biden’s sister Ashley Biden and President Biden’s sister, Valerie Biden. Hunter Biden was also joined by his second wife, Melissa Cohen Biden, to whom he was drawn to like a magnet when court broke for lunch or other pauses, often taking her hand as they left court. 

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Hunter Biden, left, arrives with his wife, Melissa Cohen Biden, at federal court, Tuesday, June 4, 2024, in Wilmington, Del. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Jill Biden skipped one day of the trial to fly to Normandy, France, to join President Biden for events commemorating the 80th anniversary of D-Day and also notably missed her former daughter-in-law Kathleen Buhle’s testimony earlier in the week. 

First lady Jill Biden arrives ahead of Hunter Biden’s trial in federal court, Monday, June 3, 2024, in Wilmington, Del. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Biden was attentive and engaged throughout his trial, taking notes, examining evidence presented in court, and surveying jurors throughout the day, most notably when they walked in and out of court for breaks. 

The trial focused on Biden’s Oct. 12, 2018 purchase of the firearm at StarQuest Shooters & Survival Supply, when prosecutors argued that Biden lied on the federal form that he was not using or addicted to drugs. The firearm remained in his possession for 11 days before Hallie Biden discovered it in the console of his Ford pickup truck and threw it away in a public trashcan outside a grocery market in Wilmington. Hallie Biden testified that she regretted tossing the firearm and did so when she was in a “panicked” state and worried that Biden would use the firearm to hurt himself or others. 

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In addition to family members, the court heard from the man who found the gun in the trash can, as well as experts from the FBI and DEA who testified on bank statements showing Biden withdrawing thousands of dollars in cash, how trace amounts of cocaine were discovered on a pouch containing the gun when Hallie Biden tossed it away, the meaning behind drug slang, and even how crack cocaine is cooked. 

Zoe Kestan, former girlfriend of Hunter Biden, son of U.S. President Joe Biden, departs the federal court after testifying in Hunter Biden’s trial on criminal gun charges in Wilmington, Delaware, U.S., June 5, 2024.  (REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque)

Amid the trial, the jury also heard extensive testimony from Biden’s ex-girlfriend, Zoe Kestan, who met the president’s son at a gentleman’s club in New York City when she was just three years out of college, and he was 48 years old. 

“He would want to smoke the second he woke up,” Kestan testified last Wednesday. 

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Kestan, who also testified under immunity, described Hunter Biden as “charming and charismatic” when they first met in 2017 after he booked a private room at the strip club for 30 minutes. Noting that after they sparked a relationship, she didn’t notice a drastic change in his behavior when he smoked crack cocaine. 

An evidence photo presented by the prosecution shows an image of Hunter Biden on April 11, 2018. (U.S. Government Exhibit)

“I didn’t notice it. Sometimes I think that’s because I was catching feelings for him,” she told the court. 

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Kestan said their whirlwind relationship was a “distraction” for Biden, as he allegedly smoked less when they were hidden away, sometimes for days at a time, in ritzy hotel rooms such as New York City’s Four Seasons or in a bungalow at Los Angeles’ Chateau Marmont. 

An evidence photo presented by the prosecution  shows Hunter Biden posing with Zoe Keagan on March 26, 2018. (U.S. Government Exhibit)

Accompanying Kestan’s testimony were photos depicting crack pipes in hotel rooms often sitting next to bottles of liquor or beer, a photo of a bare-chested Hunter Biden in a bubble bath with Kestan and a screenshot of a FaceTime video showing Biden’s back tattoo that resembled claw marks. The jurors were told amid Kestan’s remarks that Biden learned how to cook crack cocaine, and they were shown a photo of baking soda in one hotel room used to cook cocaine into crack. 

Witness testimony at times became tense, including when a former gun shop employee, Jason Turner, took the stand. Turner was working the day Hunter Biden purchased the gun and ran his background check. He delivered blunt answers to the defense team on Friday, appearing annoyed and defensive as Lowell peppered him with questions regarding the sequence of events surrounding when Hunter Biden picked out the firearm on Oct. 12. 

An evidence photo presented by the prosecution  shows the gun that Hunter Biden purchased. (U.S. Government Exhibit)

“You’re not understanding how gun shop life is,” Turner told Lowell at one point, referring to how people who frequent gun shops often spend time talking sports or just visiting with employees. 

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Lowell and Turner often spoke over each other, with presiding Judge Maryellen Noreika jumping in to tell Turner to let Lowell finish his questions before answering. Noreika joked that, otherwise, the court’s stenographer gets “mad” at her for the inability to record both parties’ comments. 

Hunter Biden, son of U.S. President Joe Biden, and his wife Melissa Cohen Biden, arrive at the J. Caleb Boggs Federal Building on June 6, 2024 in Wilmington, Delaware. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

“Be mad at me,” Turner quipped to the court stenographer, eliciting a few chuckles in court. 

“He’s been mad at me the whole trial,” Lowell lightheartedly said in response. 

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The case marks the first in the nation’s history that a sitting president’s child was put on trial. 

President Biden, last week, said he would not pardon his son if convicted. 

Fox News’ David Spunt and Jake Gibson contributed to this report.