In the aftermath of Hunter Biden’s federal gun conviction, the right-wing media has attempted to downplay the jury’s decision by falsely claiming it was a “fake trial” meant to cover up other supposed crimes committed by the president and his family. This reaction highlights how far the right-wing and pro-Trump media ecosystem has shifted towards conspiracy theories and innuendo in response to political news that is inconvenient for their narrative.
Despite long-standing claims by right-wing figures and Republicans that President Joe Biden has engaged in criminal activity, these claims have repeatedly been debunked. However, the reaction to Hunter Biden’s guilty verdict spread throughout the pro-Trump world, with far-right influencers and Trump-boosting Republicans echoing the sentiment that the trial was a distraction from the alleged crimes of the Biden family.
Some individuals, such as former President Donald Trump’s campaign and his son Donald Trump Jr., pushed the conspiracy theory that Biden had received money from foreign governments. These claims have no evidence to support them, but the narrative continued to be perpetuated within the right-wing media circles.
Trump’s supporters, including former administration officials and conservative media personalities, reacted by suggesting that the trial was a cover-up for more significant charges against Joe Biden himself. This sentiment was echoed by many within the right-wing sphere who sought to deflect attention away from the Bidens’ alleged corruption and focus instead on Hunter Biden’s gun charges.
The contrasting reactions to Hunter Biden’s conviction and Donald Trump’s guilty verdict in the hush money trial highlight the polarization within the right-wing media landscape. While some viewed Trump’s case as a political hit job, they saw Hunter Biden’s case as a clear example of someone breaking the law. However, the response from Fox News host Jeanine Pirro and Virginia Rep. Bob Good praised the handling of the Hunter Biden case by the Delaware judge, who was a Trump appointee.
In the midst of the reactions from various right-wing personalities, there were also conflicting opinions among Trump-boosting Republicans regarding the significance of Hunter Biden’s conviction. Some, like Florida GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz, dismissed the conviction as “kinda dumb,” while others, including Mark Levin, applauded the conviction in what they deemed to be a real trial compared to the perceived farce of Trump’s case in Manhattan. Overall, the response to Hunter Biden’s conviction underscores the deep divide within the right-wing media ecosystem and the lengths to which some will go to promote conspiracy theories and undermine political opponents.
