For the first time in US history, the child of a sitting president is on trial.

President Biden's son, Hunter Biden, is facing federal charges related to his purchase and possession of a gun.

Separately, Hunter Biden faces several charges that he allegedly dodged more than $1.4 million in taxes.

The president did not attend court where a jury selection began today, but he did issue this statement, saying,

I am the president, but I'm also a dad.

Jill and I love our son and we're so proud of the man he is today.

Hunter's resilience in the face of adversity and the strength he's brought to

his recovery are inspiring to us.

NPR Justice Correspondent Ryan Lucas was in the Wilmington Delaware courtroom today

and he joins us now. Ryan it's good to see you so let's just remind folks in or owning a gun. Hunter Biden denied that he was a quote unlawful user or

addict on his application to buy a gun back in 2018 that he's been open

about his addiction struggles at that time so is this sort of an open and shut case?

Well, certainly the government thinks that it's an open and shut case.

They say that Hunter Biden, when he went to purchase a gun in October of 2018 was addicted to crack cocaine and alcohol and that he lied about that on standard background check forms that you have to fill out when you purchase a gun.

So in the government's perspective, this is very much an open and shut case.

Now, Hunter's attorneys certainly feel that it is not an open and shut case.

For them, they say that this is far more complicated. They say

have said in filings at least that Hunter had completed an 11 day rehab program around the time that this all went down.

So they say that it is logical from his perspective

that perhaps he didn't understand what a drug addict or drug user

meant on that form and that he could think that he was not using drugs at that time.

Judge Mary Ellen Nureka has kind of boxed that argument into a degree by saying that

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