Is Hunter Biden protected by the Secret Service?

Hunter Biden faces potential jail time in the wake of a trial that found him guilty on three felony counts. He’s joined former President Donald Trump in his new unprecedented position, as the courts become yet another weapon in the political ring.

Biden’s team intends to appeal the decision, which could see him eventually walk away from the charges, but at the moment he, like Trump, is a convicted felon. He was found guilty of dishonesty on a mandatory gun purchase form when he indicated he was not using or addicted to illegal drugs back in 2018. The gun he purchased was only in his possession for 11 days in total, but even that short stint could land the president’s son behind bars.

In the meantime, as his lawyers work to appeal the decision, Biden is still the president’s son, and — despite his age and the recent charges — that lends him a certain level of distinction. It won’t protect him from legal consequences, but he is protected from quite a bit from his position at President Biden’s side.

Does Hunter Biden have Secret Service protection?

The Secret Service is a federal law enforcement agency tasked with protecting a range of high-profile political figures, most expressely the President of the United States. They’re also tapped to protect the families of vital political figures, which means that every child of a president, from Ivanka Trump to Malia Obama and Hunter Biden, is also protected by the Secret Service.

I’ve always figured that Secret Service protection of the children of presidents was common knowledge, but I guess not everyone watched My Date with the President’s Daughter on repeat in the late ’90s. For those without the film to bolster their knowledge, it’s a big part of the Secret Service job description. They may largely appear on screen protecting actual presidents, but they also protect other political leaders, the families of a wide range of high-profile figures, and even visiting heads of state. They’ve got a wide-ranging job, and protecting Hunter Biden absolutely falls under that umbrella.

The only remaining Biden son first earned Secret Service protection in June 2020, when Joe Biden became the Democratic presidential nominee. He’s been receiving it ever since, sometimes at a high cost to the American public. His Secret Service retinue reportedly paid tens of thousands of dollars in rent to reside nearby his Malibu, California residence, something that’s been on the receiving end of rampant criticism, particularly as the 54-year-old and his past comes under a microscope.

If Joe Biden wins another term, his son will continue to receive Secret Service protection until he is out of office. Unless, that is, the younger Biden actually ends up serving jail time for his felony convictions, which will create a new unprecedented situation the Secret Service — along with the rest of America — will have to adapt to.