Hunter Biden’s former wife and a previous girlfriend testified on Wednesday during his gun trial, discussing their discoveries of his crack pipes and other drug-related items. Jurors were shown photos of the president’s son shirtless in a bathtub and heard about his visit to a strip club.
With the first lady seated in the front row, the courtroom fell silent as Kathleen Buhle, who was married to Hunter for 20 years, entered. She recounted finding a crack pipe in an ashtray on their porch the day after their anniversary in 2015. When she confronted him about it, she said he admitted to smoking crack.
The trial, which centers on whether Hunter Biden lied on a gun purchase form in 2018 by denying drug use, has quickly become a detailed exploration of his personal struggles with drugs.
These issues have long been publicized and used politically by Republicans, including during past efforts to impeach the president.
The proceedings are unfolding as the 2024 election approaches, and allies of President Joe Biden are concerned about how it may impact him, particularly given his deep concern for his son’s health and recovery.
Prosecutors argue that the photos, testimonies, and other evidence are crucial to demonstrating Hunter Biden’s state of mind at the time of the gun purchase. He faces three felony charges related to allegedly lying about his drug use on the gun application and possessing the gun unlawfully for 11 days.