Jill Biden defends Hunter Biden in NBC interview

By Kate Bennett, CNN

First lady Dr. Jill Biden defended Hunter Biden in a recent NBC interview, following the rare public comments on their son made by President Joe Biden last week to CNN’s Jake Tapper.

Hunter Biden purchased a gun during a time in which he has now acknowledged he was struggling with drug addiction — an issue now under federal criminal investigation because federal law requires purchasers to attest that they aren’t users of or addicted to illegal drugs, CNN has reported. Federal prosecutors are weighing possible charges related tax violations and for making a false statement related to the gun purchase, CNN reported.

“Everybody and their brother has investigated Hunter. They keep at it, and at it, and at it. I know that Hunter is innocent. I love my son, and I will keep looking forward,” the first lady told NBC News.

Hunter Biden previously has denied any wrongdoing. An attorney for Hunter Biden declined to comment for this story.

Commenting directly on the potential charges against Hunter Biden for the first time, President Biden told Tapper last week that he was “proud” of Hunter Biden for being straightforward about his battle with drug addiction.

“This is a kid who got — not a kid, he’s a grown man — he got hooked on, like many families have had happen, hooked on drugs. He’s overcome that. He’s established a new life,” Biden said.

“I’m confident that he is — what he says and does are consistent with what happens,” the President said. “And for example, he wrote a book about his problems and was straightforward about it. I’m proud of him.”

The case against Hunter Biden narrowed earlier this year and was a matter of discussion in early summer between FBI and IRS investigators, prosecutors in Delaware and the Justice Department, CNN previously reported. The discussions included assessing the strength of the case and questioning whether more work was needed before deciding on charges. Prosecutors and investigators have argued that they have enough evidence to bring charges, but a decision on charges rests with Delaware US Attorney David Weiss and is expected after the midterm elections, CNN has reported.

In the CNN interview last week, the President defended his son.

“This thing about a gun — I didn’t know anything about it. But turns out that when he made application to purchase a gun, what happened was he — I guess you get asked — I don’t guess, you get asked a question, are you on drugs, or do use drugs?’ He said no. And he wrote about saying no in his book,” Biden said.

“So, I have great confidence in my son,” he went on. “I love him and he’s on the straight and narrow, and he has been for a couple years now. And I’m just so proud of him.”

The White House has consistently declined to comment on the Hunter Biden investigation, saying it’s a matter for the Justice Department. But Republicans and conservative media have focused on the issue, which could become the subject of congressional inquiries should Republicans take control of Congress after this year’s midterm elections.

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CNN’s Evan Perez and Kevin Liptak contributed to this report.