President Joe Biden's son, Hunter Biden, a convicted felon awaiting sentencing, has been advising his father to stay in the race, potentially damaging the president's ability to mock former President Donald Trump's criminal record on the campaign trail.
“All Americans should be deeply concerned that at a time when international tensions are rising, particularly with the CCP, the Biden family's confidant is now in the White House,” Mike Howell, executive director of the Heritage Foundation's Oversight Project, told Fox News Digital on Thursday.
“Given that this administration appears to be on its last legs, I fear that many of the favors requested from foreigners who have influence over Biden are being considered while he still has power,” Howell said.
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Joe Biden, left, and his son Hunter Biden. (Fake Images)
Hunter Biden was convicted last month of three felony counts related to the purchase of a firearm in 2018.
And independent voters overwhelmingly approved of Trump's description of Hunter Biden as “a convicted felon” during last week's CNN presidential debate, according to the Fox News Digital focus group, despite the former president's recent criminal conviction in the Manhattan hush-money lawsuit.
“When [President Biden] “You're talking about a convicted felon; your son is a convicted felon,” Trump said during the debate. “At a very high level, your son is convicted, he'll probably be convicted many more times, he should have been convicted earlier.”
Democrats' approval ratings fell during the response, while Republicans' and independents' approval ratings continued to rise throughout Trump's comments.
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Many prominent journalists and pundits rallied behind Hunter Biden this week after the first son was found guilty on all counts by a Delaware jury. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
Amid post-debate panic in the Democratic Party over Biden's lackluster performance against Trump, Biden's family has rallied around him, with Hunter Biden emerging as a key adviser, according to a New York Times report. Hunter Biden was one of the loudest voices imploring his father to stay in the presidential race during a family gathering at Camp David on Sunday, the Times reported.
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Former President Donald Trump holds a rally in the historically Democratic South Bronx on May 23, 2024, in New York City. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
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The president's son was joined by first lady Jill Biden to encourage him to keep going into November, the report noted, while other family members, such as a grandson, have expressed interest in trying to do more to help the campaign, with the grandson suggesting they could reach out to social media influencers.
“Hunter Biden wants Americans to see the version of his father that he knows – complicated and factual – rather than the hesitant, aging president Americans saw Thursday night,” the report said, noting that the president's son has “long been” one of his most trusted advisers.
Fox News Digital's Michael Lee contributed to this report.
