Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a GOP presidential candidate, told a crowd in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Friday that Hunter Biden would currently be behind bars if he were a Republican.
"If he were a Republican, he'd be in jail right now, and we all know that," The Hill reported DeSantis saying during a campaign stop in the early primary state on Friday.
On the heels of the comments, Attorney General Merrick Garland announced that the federal prosecutor currently investigating President Joe Biden's son, Hunter, would be appointed as special counsel in the case.
"On Tuesday of this week, [U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware] Mr. [David] Weiss advised me that in his judgment, his investigation has reached a stage at which he should continue his work as a special counsel, and he asked to be so appointed," Garland said while announcing the appointment Friday.
"Upon considering his request, as well as the extraordinary circumstances relating to this matter, I have concluded it is in the public interest to appoint him as special counsel. This appointment confirms my commitment to provide Mr. Weiss all the resources he requests.
"It also reaffirms that Mr. Weiss has the authority he needs to conduct a thorough investigation and to continue to take the steps he deems appropriate independently, based only on the facts and the law."
NBC News reported that Garland made the announcement the same day as federal prosecutors and Hunter Biden's legal team reached an apparent impasse on a plea deal regarding tax and gun charges following a previous version falling apart during a recent court appearance, meaning a trial in either Washington, D.C., or California is likely, and could include additional charges.
"Whether in Delaware, Washington, D.C. or anywhere else, we expect a fair resolution on behalf of our client," Biden attorney Chris Clark told the news outlet Friday. "[Weiss] has diligently been investigating my client for five years, and he had proposed a resolution which we fully intend to pursue in court.
"It is hard to see why he would have proposed such a resolution if there were other offenses he could have successfully prosecuted, and we are aware of none.
"We are confident when all of these maneuverings are at an end, my client will have resolution and will be moving on with his life successfully."
Charles Kim ✉
Charles Kim, a Newsmax general assignment writer, is an award-winning journalist with more than 30 years in reporting on news and politics.
© 2026 Newsmax. All rights reserved.