In response to Hunter Biden's recent conviction for lying about his drug use to purchase a gun, Republicans have intensified their efforts to tarnish his father's presidency by doubling down on unfounded conspiracy theories. Despite the gravity of Hunter Biden potentially facing a substantial jail sentence, Donald Trump's election campaign and his supporters continue to propagate baseless claims that the conviction is part of a larger conspiracy to divert attention away from more significant crimes. They also accuse the Department of Justice (DoJ) of being used as a political weapon.

For quite some time, Republicans have sought to exploit Hunter Biden's personal struggles and business dealings as a means to attack President Joe Biden. This tactic persists even as it ignores the fact that Donald Trump himself is now a convicted felon, and his own business empire has faced hefty fines for fraudulent practices.

The Trump campaign released a statement declaring, "This trial has been nothing more than a distraction from the real crimes of the Biden Crime Family, which has raked in tens of millions of dollars from China, Russia, and Ukraine." Matt Gaetz, a far-right congressman from Florida, took a dismissive stance, commenting on X, "The Hunter Biden gun conviction is kinda dumb tbh." Conservative activist and Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk echoed this sentiment, deriding the conviction as a distraction from what he claimed were even more serious crimes committed by the president's family.

Republican congresswoman Nancy Mace suggested that the verdict may be a sham, tweeting, "Timing is everything. The veil of fairness in the justice system under @Potus." Stephen Miller, one of Donald Trump's closest advisers during his presidency, went further, alleging that the DoJ purposely avoided charging Hunter Biden as an unregistered foreign agent or for foreign corruption crimes because doing so would lead back to Joe Biden.

The repeated attacks on Hunter Biden's conviction underscore the Republican narrative that the Justice Department has been "weaponized" by the Biden administration to pursue their vendetta against Trump. It is worth noting that Trump's case was handled by a New York state prosecutor, outside the DoJ's jurisdiction, while Hunter Biden's case was prosecuted by the DoJ itself, which falls under his father's administration.

James Comer, chairman of the House of Representatives' oversight committee, chose a more measured approach, referring to the verdict as "a step toward accountability." However, he also hinted that this is just the tip of the iceberg, suggesting that justice would only be served if the DoJ investigates everyone involved in the Bidens' alleged corrupt influence peddling schemes.

It is notable that the Republican reaction has been somewhat silenced due to the nature of Hunter Biden's conviction, which pertains to illegal gun ownership. Republicans typically favor more relaxed gun laws compared to their Democratic counterparts. Hunter Biden also faces separate charges in California for tax evasion amounting to $1.4 million. Republicans have previously alleged, without evidence, that his past association with the Ukrainian state oil company Burisma financially benefited his father, fueling an unsuccessful attempt at impeachment.

In response to his son's status as a convicted felon, President Joe Biden expressed a grave demeanor, stating that he would accept the outcome and the judicial process while his son considers an appeal. Biden highlighted the strength and resilience of individuals battling addiction and conveyed a sense of pride for those who come out the other side of recovery.

As Republicans continue their campaign against Hunter Biden, the underlying message remains that his conviction is just the beginning, and they will persist in their efforts to expose what they perceive as corruption within the Biden family.