Hunter Biden verdict 'stunned' his inner circle, a 'clear blow' to the president: ABC anchor

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Hunter Biden camp 'stunned' by verdict, 'clear blow' to president: ABC host

ABC's Jonathan Karl said Hunter Biden's immediate orbit was "stunned" by the guilty verdict his trial and called it a clear blow to the president.

Hunter Biden's conviction on federal gun charges "stunned" his immediate orbit and is a major, personal blow to his father, an ABC anchor said Tuesday.

"The one-word response I got from a very close friend of Hunter Biden's is stunned, absolutely stunned," ABC's Jonathan Karl said after the conviction, adding the first son's inner circle had been confident of an acquittal or hung jury in the case.

Hunter Biden was found guilty in his federal trial 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.

Karl noted President Biden is "incredibly close" to Hunter and had recently said his son had "done nothing wrong."

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Jonathan Karl called the Hunter Biden verdict a clear blow to President Biden.

"This is a clear blow to President Biden and one that is not simply a political or legal blow, but a deeply personal one," Karl said.

President Biden recently pledged to ABC's David Muir that he would not pardon his son if he was convicted in the case, which Karl suggested could always change.

"I'm sure there are some interesting conversations happening right now inside the Biden family and at the White House," Karl said.

ABC, along with CBS and NBC, broke into regular programming to cover the guilty verdict as it came in Tuesday morning.

The jury only deliberated for three hours before reaching its verdict, concluding Hunter Biden lied on a registration document for purchasing a gun in 2018 by claiming he was not a drug user at the time. He faces up to 25 years in prison, although it appears highly unlikely he would receive such a stiff sentence.

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Hunter Biden, son of U.S. President Joe Biden, and his wife Melissa Cohen Biden walk outside the federal court as his trial on criminal gun charges continues, in Wilmington, Delaware, U.S., June 11, 2024. He was found guilty on all counts. REUTERS/Hannah Beier (Hunter Biden and Melissa Cohen Biden arrive at federal court)

After the verdict, President Biden released a statement expressing love and support that also noted his son's well-known struggles with addiction. 

"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," he 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. 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," he said.

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Fox News' Adam Shaw contributed to this report.