Gordon Cleveland testified that Hunter Biden denied using illegal drugs on a federal firearms application.
Hunter Biden's drug addiction peaked in late 2018.
Kathleen Buhle testified about finding drug paraphernalia in Hunter Biden's car.
Zoe Kestan provided eyewitness testimony of Hunter Biden doing drugs in mid-September 2018.
In the midst of a heated federal trial, new evidence has emerged regarding Hunter Biden's past struggles with drug addiction. According to testimonies from his ex-wife Kathleen Buhle and an ex-girlfriend Zoe Kestan, Hunter Biden's addiction to crack cocaine reached its peak in late 2018. During this time, he was living a lavish lifestyle in New York and Los Angeles while also maintaining relationships with his family.
Kathleen Buhle testified that she discovered drug paraphernalia in Hunter's car during this period. Meanwhile, Zoe Kestan provided eyewitness testimony of Hunter doing drugs as late as mid-September 2018. The disturbing details were shared in the ongoing trial, which centers around allegations that Biden lied on a federal firearms application by denying his drug use.
Additionally, Gordon Cleveland, the salesman who sold Hunter Biden the gun in question, testified that he watched Biden mark 'no' on the question of whether he was a user of illegal drugs on the federal form. This contradiction has become a significant point of contention in the trial.
The testimonies paint a picture of a man whose addiction was out of control, leading him to make false statements and engage in risky behavior. The trial continues with more witnesses expected to testify.
Hunter Biden's ex-wife testified about finding drug paraphernalia in his car in 2018.
Zoe Kestan testified about months of partying and helping him score drugs from California to Rhode Island.
Gordon Cleveland, the salesman who sold Hunter Biden the gun, testified that he watched Hunter mark 'no' on the question of whether he was a user of illegal drugs on the federal form.
Accuracy
Prosecutors showed pictures of a hotel room shared by Hunter Biden and Zoe Kestan in 2018, which contained drug paraphernalia and evidence of drug use.
A photo of Hunter Biden holding what was identified as a crackpipe in a bathtub was shown to the jury.
Deception
(30%)
The article contains selective reporting as it focuses on the testimony of witnesses regarding Hunter Biden's drug addiction and his purchase of a firearm in late 2018. It does not provide any context or information about the trial itself or the charges against Hunter Biden. Additionally, there is emotional manipulation through vivid descriptions of Hunter Biden's spiral into drug addiction and the pain felt by his ex-wife and former girlfriend.
Hunter Biden watched closely as his ex-wife testified to how he left the family home after she discovered his drug use, and a former girlfriend recounted how he smoked crack "every 20 minutes" and about the pain and deception she felt as he began to disappear for nights on end.
joining Biden for the third day were first lady Jill Biden; his wife, Melissa Cohen-Biden; close ally Kevin Morris; and other longtime friends and family members.
Biden's missing gun was also shown to the jury.
Fallacies
(80%)
The article contains several instances of inflammatory rhetoric and appeals to emotion. The author describes Hunter Biden's drug addiction in vivid detail, using words like 'spiral,' 'foiled attempts,' and 'fateful purchase.' The author also uses phrases like 'in vivid color' and 'vivid detail' to elicit an emotional response from the reader. Additionally, the article includes several appeals to authority, such as referencing Attorney General Merrick Garland appointing a special counsel to investigate Biden and mentioning that David Weiss is a Trump-appointed U.S. attorney.
Three new witnesses took the stand in Hunter Biden’s gun trial on Wednesday, recalling in vivid color the defendant’s spiral into drug addiction, foiled attempts at entering rehab, and fateful purchase of a firearm in late 2018.
Zoe Kestan provided direct eyewitness testimony of Hunter Biden doing drugs as late as mid-September 2018.
A photo of Hunter Biden holding what was identified as a crackpipe in a bathtub was shown to the jury.
Hunter Biden's ex-wife, Kathleen Buhle, testified about finding drug paraphernalia in his car in 2018.
Accuracy
Hunter Biden's ex-wife testified about finding drug paraphernalia in his car in 2018.
, Hunter Biden's ex-girlfriend testified about months of partying and helping him score drugs from California to Rhode Island.
Prosecutors showed pictures of a hotel room shared by Hunter Biden and Zoe Kestan in 2018, which contained drug paraphernalia and evidence of drug use.
Deception
(30%)
The article contains selective reporting as it only reports details that support the authors' position. The authors focus on the testimony of two ex-girlfriends of Hunter Biden and a gun salesman, while ignoring any potential testimony from defense witnesses. They also use emotional manipulation by describing in detail the drug addiction of Hunter Biden and his ex-wife's discovery of drug paraphernalia in his car. The authors also make editorializing statements such as 'It seemed like some of the jurors were hanging on every word she said.' and 'This is the closest that prosecutors have come so far to connecting the timeline of Hunter Biden's drug use to his gun purchase.'
This is the closest that prosecutors have come so far to connecting the timeline of Hunter Biden's drug use to his gun purchase.
It seemed like some of the jurors were hanging on every word she said.
The third day of the Hunter Biden trial saw his ex-wife and an ex-girlfriend testify in vivid detail about his drug addiction.
Fallacies
(90%)
The article contains several instances of inflammatory rhetoric and appeals to authority. However, no formal or dichotomous fallacies were identified. The authors use phrases such as 'vivid detail,' 'in animated delivery,' and 'high anticipation' to describe the testimony given by witnesses, implying that the testimony is more credible or significant than it may be. Additionally, the authors refer to Gordon Cleveland as a 'whale hunter' when describing his gun sales tactics, which could be seen as an attempt to discredit him. However, this does not necessarily constitute a fallacy as it is not a false statement or misrepresentation of facts.
][the jury] sat up straight in their seats, leaned in and started tuning in.[/
Buhle's brief, staccato answers and subdued tone didn't seem to pull in the jurors.
It seemed like some of the jurors were hanging on every word she said.
This is the closest that prosecutors have come so far to connecting the timeline of Hunter’s drug use to his gun purchase.
Cleveland embraced his reputation as a ‘whale hunter’, chuckling when Lowell brought up the term and bragging about his ability to close deals for pricey guns.
Bias
(80%)
The authors provide detailed descriptions of Hunter Biden's drug use and his ex-wife and ex-girlfriend's testimonies about it. They also mention the gun sale and the salesman's testimony regarding Hunter Biden falsely denying drug use on the federal form. The authors do not express any opinion or bias towards Hunter Biden, but they present facts in a way that may be perceived as negative towards him.
Hunter Biden also gave her a brief wave when she identified him in court.
More importantly for the prosecutors’ case, Kestan provided direct eyewitness testimony of Hunter Biden doing drugs as late as mid-September 2018, several weeks before he bought the gun.
That is essential testimony for the special counsel. Counts 1 and 2 of the three-count felony indictment are tied directly to Hunter Biden’s alleged false statement on that form about his drug use.
