Joe Biden sticks up for his son Hunter as federal gun trial begins: 'We are so proud of the man he is today'

• President Joe Biden expressed his love and support for his only surviving son, Hunter Biden, at the start of Hunter's federal trial on criminal gun charges.
• The younger Biden faces three counts connected to his purchase and possession of a Colt Cobra revolver while he was addicted to drugs.
• The trial begins just days after a New York jury found Republican former President Donald Trump guilty on 34 counts of falsifying business records.

President Joe Biden expressed his love and support Monday morning for his only surviving son, Hunter Biden, who faced the start of his federal trial on criminal gun charges.

"I am the President, but I am also a Dad," the elder Biden said in a statement as jury selection kicked off in the trial in U.S. District Court in Delaware.

Hunter Biden, 54, faces three counts connected to his purchase and possession of a Colt Cobra revolver while he was addicted to drugs in 2018. The trial is expected to last two weeks.

The trial begins just four days after a New York jury found Republican former President Donald Trump, now the party's presumptive nominee, guilty on 34 counts of falsifying business records.

Both Trump and Hunter Biden claim that they have been unfairly targeted by the Department of Justice for political reasons.

President Biden said that he and first lady Jill Biden "love our son, and we are so proud of the man he is today."

The first lady showed up to court Monday to support her stepson, who is the first-ever child of a sitting president to stand trial on criminal charges.

"As the President, I don't and won't comment on pending federal cases, but as a Dad, I have boundless love for my son, confidence in him, and respect for his strength," said Joe Biden.

Hunter Biden faces a second