Naomi Biden testifies in defense of dad, Hunter Biden, gets tearful

Hunter Biden’s daughter Naomi Biden took the stand at his trial Friday. Her testimony came after an emotional three days in the courtroom.

While Hunter’s ex-wife and former love interests painted a grim picture of his drug use before and around the time he purchased a .38 caliber revolver, as he allegedly lied on a federal background form to obtain the gun in October 2018, Naomi Biden painted a contrasting picture. She was the defense’s first witness.

The president’s granddaughter said Hunter “just seemed really great” when she had lunch with him at a rehab facility in California in the summer of 2018. “I hadn’t seen my dad in a really long time,” she said, according to CNN. Naomi said she knew her father was battling addiction after the death of his brother, Beau Biden, in 2015.

The prosecution questioned her about her visit to New York in October 2018, and whether she knew what her father was up to.

“Do you know what your father was doing at 2 a.m. and why he was asking for the car then?” prosecutor Leo Wise asked her, to which she responded she didn’t, per USA Today. He showed her text messages between her and her father from this time, where Naomi writes, “I can’t take this. I miss you so much. I just want to hang out with you.”

“I am sorry I’ve been so unreachable. It is not fair to you,” Hunter replied. Still, Naomi maintained she felt hopeful about her dad’s efforts to get sober. Hunter’s daughter was teary-eyed when leaving the courtroom after her testimony was over. First lady Jill Biden and Melissa Cohen Biden, Hunter’s wife, also left shortly after her.

She also testified she drove her father’s car in October 2018, but didn’t find a gun or any drugs. Hallie Biden, Beau’s widowed wife who was romantically involved with Hunter between 2015 and 2016, said in court Thursday she threw out drugs and a firearm from Hunter’s car.

Although James Biden was expected to testify, he was not called and the prosecution rested its case. Earlier in the day, the prosecution called FBI forensic chemist Jason Brewer and DEA special agent Joshua Romig to the stand.

Brewer said cocaine residue was identified on the pouch that Hallie Biden used to dispose of Hunter’s gun at a grocery store trash can. The sample wasn’t tested for drugs until last year, and it has never been tested for fingerprints. The defense argued this pouch didn’t belong to Hunter.

Meanwhile, Romig in his testimony went through drug-related terms, like “baby powder” he found in Hunter’s tests. As per CNN, they are two of the 10 witnesses the prosecutors called. The defense continued arguing that there isn’t any direct evidence that ties the president’s son to any drug use around the time he bought the gun.