Hunter Biden's legal charges pose pivotal challenge for Joe Biden ahead of 2024 presidential election

WASHINGTON, DC: President Joe Biden is grappling with the looming specter of his son, Hunter Biden, confronting a potentially embarrassing legal ordeal next year. This challenge adds to a myriad of political obstacles Biden might face in a potential rematch with Donald Trump.

The recently unveiled criminal charges by the Justice Department against Hunter Biden on Thursday, December 7, while anticipated, serve as a stark reminder of the personal challenges the president is set to navigate as he gears up for the approaching campaign.

Hunter Biden's legal issues loom on Joe Biden ahead of 2024 presidential elections 

The Department of Justice on Thursday filed new criminal charges against US President Joe Biden's son, Hunter, accusing him of failing to pay $1.4 million in taxes while spending millions of dollars on a lavish lifestyle.

Hunter, 53, was hit with three felony and six misdemeanor tax offenses, according to an indictment filed in US District Court, Central District of California. He faces up to 17 years in prison if convicted. The Justice Department said its investigation into Biden is ongoing.

However, following the breakdown of Hunter's plea deal in a Delaware courtroom months ago, the Biden team has acknowledged that his son's legal challenges, coupled with revelations about his alleged lifestyle and battles with addiction, will remain in the media spotlight for the foreseeable future as the legal process unfolds.

The prosecutors' portrayal of Hunter's indulgent behavior, allegedly fueled in part by leveraging the Biden family name, poses a significant challenge for President Biden at a time when Republicans are eager to tarnish his political standing, as per CNN. 

GOP efforts to reportedly deflect attention from the four indictments against Trump, the current Republican presidential front-runner, have been a notable strategy.

Biden's aides reportedly vehemently argue that comparisons between Hunter's legal issues and those of the former president are made in bad faith.

They stress the differing severity of charges and highlight that Trump is actively running for president, unlike Hunter.

Currently, there is no evidence indicating that President Biden personally benefited from his son's foreign business dealings.

The Biden team remains confident that voters will base their decisions on factors beyond the legal troubles of the president's son.

The revelation of the special counsel's second case against Hunter comes at a challenging juncture, with the impending election year exposing vulnerabilities for President Biden.

Amidst a dip in approval ratings and public pessimism about the economy, questions have arisen regarding Biden's handling of the Israel-Hamas war, a predominant focus for the White House in recent months.

Despite the latest report from CNN showcasing continued economic growth, the Biden administration faces a persistent challenge: a thriving economy that doesn't necessarily translate into optimism for the majority of Americans.

Adding to the complexity, Biden introduced some uncertainty about his reelection motivation in recent statements.

At a donor event, he remarked, "If Trump wasn't running, I'm not sure I'd be running," as per CNN.

When asked by CNN about the potential for other Democrats to defeat Trump, Biden responded, "Probably 50 of them. I'm not the only one who could defeat him. But I will defeat him."

Joe Biden doesn't plan on distancing himself from son Hunter Biden

During the summer, there was a period when Biden and his inner circle optimistically anticipated the resolution of Hunter's legal challenges through a plea deal, allowing the family to move past a tumultuous chapter.

However, these expectations were shattered when the agreement fell apart.

Subsequently, a special counsel was appointed to oversee the investigation into the president's son, introducing the possibility of extended legal battles coinciding with Biden's reelection campaign.

Despite these developments, there's no indication that the president plans to distance himself from Hunter.

Hunter, residing in California but occasionally spending time at the White House, participated in the family's Thanksgiving gathering on Nantucket and joined his father during a Black Friday Christmas tree lighting.

This week's tax charges, the second indictment against Hunter this year, reveal explicit details about his extravagant spending on "drugs, escorts, and luxury items," all while evading taxes, as per CNN report.

Much of this spending was previously disclosed in a candid memoir documenting Hunter's journey through addiction.

During the summer, the president and first lady publicly acknowledged, for the first time, a daughter Hunter fathered during his struggles with addiction, as per The New York Times.

Publicly, Hunter's representatives argue that his legal troubles are more about his identity than substance.

Biden's attorney, Abbe Lowell, asserted, "Based on the facts and the law, if Hunter’s last name was anything other than Biden, the charges in Delaware, and now California, would not have been brought," as per the outlet. 

Voters' perceptions of Hunter Biden's legal issues and Joe Biden's involvement

Many close to Biden hold the belief that voters won't be overly concerned about Hunter Biden's legal issues in the upcoming 2024 elections.

A mere 27% of voters, according to a September Monmouth survey, expressed that Hunter's legal troubles would discourage their support for the incumbent president.

Similarly, a Reuters survey conducted after Hunter Biden's plea deal revealed that 58% of respondents saw no impact on their inclination to vote for the president, as per the news outlet.

However, ethics concerns appear to cast a shadow over the president, as indicated by various surveys.

A significant 61% of Americans, according to a September SSRS survey by CNN, believe Biden was involved in Hunter's business transactions. Among these respondents, 42% perceive Biden's behavior as unlawful, while 18% consider it immoral but not criminal.

In contrast, 38% of survey participants don't think Biden was involved in his son's business ventures during his vice presidency.

A mere 1% believe Biden was engaged but did nothing improper. Regarding the investigation into Hunter for potential crimes, 55% of the public believes the president has acted inappropriately, while 44% believe he has handled the situation appropriately.