Hunter Biden has been spotted in California on his way to lunch, just a day after he was found guilty of three felonies in his gun crimes trial in Delaware.
The president’s son was spotted heading to the Cholada Thai restaurant in Malibu with a friend, but without his wife Melissa.
He was wearing jeans and a blue shirt, with a baseball cap with the state flag of Hawaii on it.
Hunter also appeared to be carrying a fruit smoothie as he approached the restaurant to meet his companion.
The first son looked tense and seemed barely able to crack a smile, even as he hugged his dining partner.
Hunter Biden went to lunch in California on Wednesday, just a day after he was found guilty of three felonies in his gun crimes trial in Delaware
. Hunter was spotted heading to the Cholada Thai restaurant in Malibu without his wife Melissa
Hunter also appeared to be carrying an orange-colored fruit smoothie as he walked to the restaurant to meet a friend
The struggles of his trial appeared to be on display as Hunter’s future rests in the hands of District Court Judge Maryellen Noreika, who will have to decide on a punishment for his crimes, which could carry up to 25 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
She has said she will schedule sentencing within 120 days after also receiving sentencing memos from both the prosecution and defense.
As a first-time offender, he will likely receive much less time or even avoid prison entirely.
The Wilmington, Delaware, jury voted unanimously to convict Joe Biden’s son of two counts of lying on a federal form to purchase a gun, and one count of possessing the firearm while abusing drugs.
Hunter went to lunch at Cholada Thai Beach Cuisine in Malibu
The first son looked tense and seemed barely able to keep a smile on his face
Hunter could be seen dressed in an all-denim outfit while carrying his fruit smoothie
His conviction marks the first time a current president’s child has been found guilty of a crime, but he still enjoys the protection of his secret agent.
“Hunter Biden’s Secret Service protections will remain unchanged despite his judicial outcome,” said Anthony Guglielmi, chief communications officer for the U.S. Secret Service. The everyday beast.
Although the Secret Service is not required to protect a sitting president’s children over the age of 16, it has traditionally done so in the past.
Should he receive a prison term as part of his sentence, the Secret Service will have to decide how best to protect him behind bars.
Hunter seemed to have the weight of the world on his mind as he walked to a restaurant
Hunter was in California just one day after his trial ended in Delaware
If Biden were to lose the November election and son Hunter was in jail, he could very well lose his security staff.
However, the decision would be made solely by the Trump administration – should he win the presidency, he might have to put aside any grudge against the Biden family.
Hunter is still awaiting a second trial in September in California on charges of failing to pay $1.4 million in taxes.
Republicans in Congress have also indicated they will continue to go after him in their stalled impeachment efforts against the president.
The president has not been accused or charged of any wrongdoing by prosecutors investigating his son.
During an ABC News interview last week, Biden definitively ruled out pardoning his son.
The president’s son arrived at court on Tuesday with wife Melissa Cohen Biden at his side to hear the verdict, but there was no sign of her on Wednesday
President Joe Biden spoke with his son as Hunter on the ground in Delaware on Tuesday
Joe Biden hugged his son Hunter Biden as he arrived in Delaware following the younger Biden’s conviction on a gun crime
“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,” Biden said immediately after the statement.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on Wednesday did not rule out the president issuing a possible commutation that could reduce or eliminate a sentence while leaving the conviction intact.
The charges against Hunter stem from a dark period in his life, during which he acknowledges his spiral following the death of his brother, Beau Biden, from cancer in 2015.
Jurors found him guilty of lying to a federally licensed gun dealer when he bought a revolver in 2018, making a false claim on the application by saying he was not a drug user and had the gun illegally in his possession for 11 days.