Melissa Cohen-Biden has walked into court holding her husband Hunter Biden's hand every day of his gun trial, a move which contrasts with another recent high-profile case: Donald Trump's hush money trial.
The former president's wife Melania Trump was notably absent from the entire court case, which stretched over several weeks in New York, despite her spending time nearby at Trump Tower in midtown Manhattan.
In Delaware over the past week, the Bidens have come out in force to show support for the President's son, who was found guilty on federal charges surrounding his purchase of a gun in 2018, where prosecutors argue he lied on documents about his drug use.
Cohen-Biden sat through testimony from her husband's ex-wife and former lovers, who detailed his drug use, including around the time of the alleged offences in 2018, not long before she met and married him.
When the details of Donald Trump's alleged sexual encounter with Daniels were laid out in graphic detail, his wife was nowhere to be seen. No statement was made on her behalf in support or defense of her husband.
Melania Trump finally reappeared from Trump Tower on Tuesday June 4.
Hunter Biden has not only been supported by his wife, but a whole host of Bidens have filled the rows of seats at the courthouse in Wilmington.
Despite spending the weekend before the trial with his son, President Joe Biden has not attended court. Instead, he spent much of the week in France on official business.
Hunter's stepmother Jill Biden has been there for much of the trial.
After hearing the first rounds of testimony earlier in the week, the First Lady went over to her step-son and gave him a long hug before stroking his cheek.
"Jill and I love our son, and we are so proud of the man he is today," President Biden said in a statement earlier this week.
"Hunter's resilience in the face of adversity and the strength he has brought to his recovery are inspiring to us."
The First Lady showed up every day apart from Thursday, when she traveled to join her husband for D-Day commemorations, before flying back to the US to be in court again Friday.
In his weeks-long trial in New York City, Donald Trump did not enjoy such a turnout from his family.
Even on the final day of the hearing, around hush-money payments made to adult film star Stormy Daniels in the lead-up to the 2016 presidential election, just one relative was in the courtroom: one of his sons, Eric Trump.
He was at the court more than any other family member, with Donald Trump Jr. also appearing multiple times.
Trump's daughter Ivanka was notably absent from the court in lower Manhattan, having mostly withdrawn from public appearances linked to her father since he left office in 2021.
Following the former president's conviction on 34 counts, Ivanka Trump did post an Instagram story of her father holding her as a little girl, with the caption "I love you dad".
Hunter Biden's daughter Naomi Biden, 31, appeared in court to testify as a defense witness on Friday, speaking of her father's drug problems over the years.
"I knew that he was struggling with addiction," she told the court, before referring to Hunter's brother Beau: "After my uncle died, things got bad."
The court was expecting to hear from the president's brother and Hunter's uncle, James Biden, but the defense said Friday that it would not call him as a witness, despite his appearance at the court building.
Other supporters to show included President Biden's sister, Valerie Biden Owens, and long-time friends and financial supporter, lawyer Kevin Morris.
As prosecutors made closing arguments on Monday, attorney Leo Wise said all the family support in the courtroom, filling three rows of seating, did not matter to the jury.
"All of this is not evidence," Wise said, gesturing around the room. "People sitting in the gallery are not evidence."
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About the writer
Dan Gooding is a Newsweek reporter based in New York City. His focus is reporting on immigration and the U.S.-Mexico ... Read more
