Jill Biden spends an unusual birthday in court, watching as Hunter Biden's felony trial begins
WILMINGTON, Del. – Jill Biden spent her birthday in a federal courtroom.
The first lady took a front-row seat as Hunter Biden, the son of President Joe Biden, sat in U.S. District Court in Delaware on Monday for the first day of his trial on felony gun charges. Flanked by her daughter Ashley and her daughter-in-law Melissa Cohen Biden, they made a trifecta of support as the highly watched case got underway.
Ashley Biden is Hunter’s half-sister and Cohen Biden is Hunter's wife. The first lady raised Hunter Biden after the death of the president's first wife in a 1972 car accident. As courtrooms scenes go, the show of presidential family figures in full view of the jury made for an unusual sight – and it's one that continued on Tuesday when the three women returned for opening statements.
Wearing a purple monochromatic pantsuit, Valentino stilettos and a perfectly coiffed mane, Jill Biden was a powerful presence on Monday in the courtroom. As the jury selection process got underway, she could be seen paying rapt attention and taking notes as well as frequently whispering to the women by her side. During breaks, she would wait for Hunter Biden to leave the defense table and give him a hug before exiting the room.
It was apparent that the first lady’s stature was that of any ordinary relative of a defendant. She got up, with everyone else in the courtroom, to “All rise” when U.S. District Court Judge Maryellen Noreika entered.
By the afternoon on Monday, a diverse jury had been selected. The first lady sat across from everyday Delaware residents who would soon decide her son’s fate.
The scene was reminiscent of former President Donald Trump’s hush money trial and conviction in a New York City courtroom last week. It's a rare moment in history to see so many presidential figures and wannabes packed into courtrooms where their fates and families' fortunes are being decided.
Hunter Biden faces three felonies over whether he lied on a federal gun form in 2018 that asked if he was addicted to drugs.
Among Hunter Biden's family who were conspicuously absent Monday were his ex-wife Kathleen Buhle and Hallie Biden, his former sister-in-law whom he dated in the aftermath of his brother's death. They are both expected to be called on as witnesses by the prosecution.
For many, Joe Biden's focus on family is a big part of his image. In 2014, Biden, then vice president, famously sent a message to his staff, that said, in part: “If I find out that you are working with me while missing important family responsibilities, it will disappoint me greatly. This has been an unwritten rule since my days in the Senate.”
Having lost his first wife and daughter at age 29 has shaped the president and the way he views his commitment to family. In 2015, tragedy struck again when he lost his older son, Beau Biden at age 46 to a brain tumor.
The president spent Sunday night with family in their Delaware home and was off on a campaign trip to Connecticut Monday afternoon.
Still, for some, the legal spectacles have sown more doubts.
Among potential jurors at the Biden trial, there were some who said they believed that government and law enforcement “investigates and prosecutes individuals because of politics.”
Some pointed to the Trump trial as an example. Still others said they felt Biden was being unfairly targeted because of his father.
Among supporters at the courtroom was Ricky Mouse, president of the Delaware chapter of the NAACP and a longtime Biden friend.
“I have known Hunter from when he was about 3 years old,” he said. “He’s getting crucified because of his name. And that's wrong.”
Both Hunter and Jill Biden hugged Mouse when they saw him.
“Hunter said I took a lot of tension off of him,” he said afterward.
Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy is a White House correspondent for USA TODAY. You can follow her on X, formerly Twitter, @SwapnaVenugopal
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jill Biden emerges as a fierce protector of Hunter Biden
