Two Convictions, Two WILDLY Disparate Reactions

 

After the weeks of chaos around Trump’s “hush money” trial, I have to say that Hunter Biden’s trial for lying on a gun application has been a palate cleanser, to say the LEAST. But I also find the stark differences between the way political parties have reacted to these trials to be as fascinating as they are telling.

We didn’t have endure weeks of Hunter Biden, his family, or the Democratic Party screaming at every TV camera and social media platform they could find that the trial was “rigged” and that it was a “political witch hunt”.

We didn’t have to listen to a barrage of baseless attacks against the judge or the prosecutor about how “biased” and “corrupt” they are, nor did we hear endless demands for the judge to recuse themselves, even though many question his decision to throw out a reasonable and lawful plea agreement and whether a judge appointed by Hunter’s father’s main political rival should oversee such a case.

We didn’t have to hear HORRIFIC attacks and death threats be leveled at the families of the judge or the prosecution, nor did we hear any attacks or threats directed towards the jury.

We didn’t see Democrats fill the courtroom every day, all dressed like Joe Biden, screaming that they’re there to “support” and "defend" Hunter against a “fake” and “rigged” trial.

We didn’t see Democrats demanding a “change of venue” to “get a better jury”.

We didn’t see Democrats scream and howl about the sordid and salacious details entered into the record, or insist that they were “unfairly prejudicial” and “not necessary”.

We didn’t see Democrats threatening to defund the legal system or sanction the judge or prosecutor.

We didn’t see Democrats trying to drag the prosecution into Congress to “demand answers”.

We didn’t see Democrats trying to draft legislation in a desperate attempt to protect Hunter Biden.

We didn’t see Democrats vowing to grind government to a screeching halt if Hunter is convicted.

And when Hunter was convicted on all counts, we didn’t see Democrats fly into a blind rage, call it a “hoax”, or call for retaliation or violence against the judge, the prosecutor, or the jury.

 

What we DID see, however, is just as telling.

We saw a man sit in court every day, surrounded by his family (that alone is a VERY notable difference; Trump’s family was absent for nearly the entire trial, and his wife didn’t attend a single day), and being completely respectful of the proceedings.

We saw a man follow every rule imposed by the court, without question or contempt.

We saw his political party, allies, and family all clearly and unequivocally state that, despite having valid concerns about charges being politically motivated, they would accept and respect the verdict, no matter what it was.

We saw Hunter, despite pleading not guilty, accepting full responsibility for his actions, and not asking elected officials to derail the case.

And, perhaps most importantly, his father, the most powerful man in the free world, has publicly vowed to not pardon Hunter and to accept the verdict of the jury, regardless of what it is. Joe Biden could have stopped the entire case *instantly* with a pre-emptive pardon, but he *chose* not to.

Think about that for a second. How many other presidents would have publicly stated that they would not pardon their son? How many governors would do this? We can unequivocally state that Trump would NOT do this; after all, he’s already pardoned multiple allies to defuse their prosecutions, and has even floated the idea of pardoning himself should he be re-elected so he can stop the January 6^th and Classified Documents cases from proceeding.

Biden’s decision to not use his pardon power sends a truly remarkable message. He’s showing that he has faith not just in his son, but in the legal system, and that he won’t do anything to undermine or short-circuit it. And, after months of attacks on the very essence of the rule of law from Trump and his sycophants, the timing of this message couldn’t be better.

And when the guilty verdict was announced, Democrats and the Biden family all accepted the verdict without question. Hunter himself issued a simple statement expressing disappointment in the verdict and thanking his friends and family for their love and support. President Biden has not wavered in his decision to respect the verdict of the jury. Democrats across the board have clearly stated that, despite concerns over the political motivations, the trial was necessary and fair, and that they accept the outcome.

Republicans, on the other hand, have largely grumbled and mumbled throughout this trial. They’re clearly happy to see that Hunter Biden, who has long been one of their favorite targets, is finally in a courtroom, but they view the gun charge as being basically a technicality (especially because they generally oppose any kind of gun control laws or rules). After the jury convicted Hunter, one would have expected shouts of glee, but instead, what we got was more akin to golf claps. Most supported the verdict, but some were clearly worried about it undercutting the GOP narrative of a “weaponized justice system” that protects “anyone with the last name Biden” and goes after Republicans. Many desperately (and hilariously) tried to draw a distinction between the two trials in order to avoid looking like a hypocrite (which makes them look even MORE hypocritical, as all they’ve done is move the goalposts, which is a defined logical fallacy). But some even suggested that this was itself a “fake” or “show” trial, designed by the DoJ to try to regain some trust in the legal system.

Yep, you read that right: some Republican hardliners are now literally accusing Biden and the DoJ of inventing a trial to charge the president’s son in a scheme to make it look like they’re NOT weaponizing the legal system. I’d say you can’t make this stuff up, but clearly, the imagination of some Republicans knows no bounds.

 

The differences between how the two parties reacted to these two trials, both of which were stained by politicization from the beginning, couldn’t be more stark or telling. Republicans overwhelmingly rejected the very concept of the rule of law, demanding that their nominee get special treatment to which he simply isn’t entitled. Democrats have, on the other hand, never once attacked the process. On the contrary, even though they have expressed valid and legitimate concerns over the perceived political motivations behind the prosecution, they have defended its necessity, as the evidence does show he broke the law, and they have never once called into question the integrity of the trial or any of the parties involved.

Democrats recognize the simple truth that it’s the facts of a case, NOT the motivations for bringing it, that matter. Cases like this will ALWAYS appear political, no matter how much care is taken to avoid it; you simply cannot prosecute a politician or a member of their family WITHOUT it appearing politically motivated. And while it is reasonable to question those motivations, this should not, and CANNOT, be a valid reason for refusing to accept the facts of the case.

And in both of these cases, the facts are clear: juries decided that the evidence clearly showed, beyond a reasonable doubt, that both Donald Trump and Hunter Biden are guilty of all of the crimes of which they were accused. That is the only thing that matters, and there is only one political party that is accepting this simple truth, while the other is viciously attacking it every way they can.