Trump and Biden: The tale of two convictions...

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Robert Hunter Biden, the 54-year old second son of President Joe Biden, was found guilty as charged yesterday by a Delaware federal jury for his role in lying about his illicit narcotics use in 2018 when he purchased a firearm from a gun store. 

Hunter Biden

Judging from the anecdotal evidence emanating from my social media feeds, it seems that many of President Biden's supporters accepted the verdict while appreciating the fact that in the younger Biden's case, like thousands of other criminal trials taking place in federal and state courthouses across America this month, that due process of law was afforded to a defendant who had previously pleaded not guilty—was given multiple days in court to defend himself against all charges—but in the end analysis, came up short and was convicted. 

In an admirable show of humility, President Joe Biden said the following in a written statement:

"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. 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. As I also said last week, I will accept the outcome of this case and will continue to respect the judicial process as Hunter considers an appeal. Jill and I will always be there for Hunter and the rest of our family with our love and support. Nothing will ever change that."

Whether you love, loathe, or are indifferent about President Biden as a political leader, anyone who refuses to see the classy nature of his post trial statement—or can't seem to empathize with his parental anguish as the father of a cocaine addicted son—is merely being an obtuse jackass 🫏! 

Now, speaking of differences, as of this morning, I've yet to receive any robo-messages from the Biden campaign seeking money for Hunter Biden's appeal; I've yet to see any Op/Ed's from Biden friendly journalists calling the trial a "witch hunt," and I've yet to receive any missives or emails tying Hunter Biden's criminal trial to the need for campaign contributions for his father, Joe Biden. 

Further, President Biden's post trial respect for the judicial system stands in stark juxtaposition to the reaction from former President Donald Trump two weeks ago when a New York jury convicted him on 34 counts of fraud relating to hush money that he paid to pornographic star Stormy Daniels to keep their relationship silent during the 2016 presidential election.

Mr. Trump, like the younger Biden, was afforded the same due process of laws, but the former president and his followers have spent almost every waking moment since the verdict falsely claiming that the jury trial was "rigged" against him, with some of the more zealous going so far as to compare Trump's trial to Jesus Christ's trials before the Sanhedrin and Pontius Pilate on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday!

The easy explanation for the differing responses, again, is class, and in my life's experiences, you either have class—or you don't. And as I've written time and again, the only thing that separates Donald Trump from some of his most classless followers is the fact that his bank account is bigger. 

To be fair, I personally know some Trump supporters who have privately told me that they found no fault with his trial results and while disappointed in the former president's criminal behavior, they still plan to vote for Trump this fall because his politics aligns with their own. 

But even with those minority of Trump supporters who respected his trial's verdict, my major concern is that if Trump is elected, that he will make good on his promises to weaponize the Justice Department to harass and get even with his political enemies. Such motives are textbook tactics of authoritarian fascists—not supporters of democracy—and yet here we stand several months away from democracy being in peril due to the vindictive nature of a man who in his own adopted state of Florida, would not even be able to vote for himself, being a convicted felon and all, if he were an ordinary citizen!

In the 200 or so jury trials that I handled, at some point in the proceedings, be it jury selection or during opening statements, I often recited the following quote from Thomas Jefferson, a lawyer, Founding Father, and Third President of the United States: "I consider that (trial by jury) as the only anchor, ever yet imagined by man, by which a government can be held to the principles of its constitution." I would go on to explain that ours is not a perfect system, but it is a far better system than those in authoritarian nations that lock people up whimsically, and sentence them to arbitrary prison terms capriciously! 

This morning, I still feel the same way, and I respect the fact that 12 jurors in Delaware found Hunter Biden guilty, just as I respect the 12 jurors in Manhattan who found Donald Trump guilty two weeks ago. Had either jury chosen to acquit, I would have respected those verdicts, too, because I respect the rule of law!

Hunter and his wife, Melissa Cohen Biden, en route to receiving yesterday's verdict. Not to be petty, but Ol’ Hobbs did take note that former First Lady Melania Trump didn't attend not nann day of her husband's three week trial in Manhattan…

Hunter Biden, like Donald Trump, is a first time convicted felon and because of that designation, potentially faces prison time, but more likely will receive some form of probation or home confinement. But to Hunter Biden's credit, cognizant that he still faces another federal trial on tax charges this winter, I respect him for keeping his comments circumspect so as to not "poke the bear," meaning, upset some judge who will take the defendant's remorse and respect for the judicial system in account when crafting a proper sentence. 

Conversely, it eventually may turn out to be too bad for Mr. Trump, facing three more felony trials, for not governing himself with the same post-trial humility as young Biden as he pokes the bear day in and day out with his mouth and his fingers on his Orwellian named social media site, “Truth Social.”

Stay tuned…