Jurors in Hunter Biden's trial on federal felony gun charges heard from attorneys on both sides during the first day of testimony, as well as an FBI agent who shared details of Biden's drug use around the time he purchased a revolver from a Delaware gun store, but the most damaging testimony of all came from Hunter Biden himself. 

Biden hasn't (and probably won't) officially testify on his own behalf, but prosecutors are using texts, emails, and even the audiobook version of his 2021 memoir Beautiful Things to lay out the case that he was actively using and abusing drugs when he purchased the gun, but lied about his use on the 4473 background check form submitted to the National Instant Check System. 

Defense attorney Abbe Lowell is trying to convince the jury that there's no evidence Biden was actively using drugs when he purchased the handgun, and that he didn't believe himself to be an "unlawful user" or addicted to cocaine when he filled out the Form 4473. The problem for Lowell is that Hunter's own recounting of that time period indicates he was abusing drugs around the time he bought the gun. 

The prosecution entered into evidence several invoices from “The View,” a Detox Center in Southern California. The invoices amounted to 12 days of stabilization services and sober companionship at the end of August and early September 2018.

Prosecutor Derek Hines noted that this was 40 days before Hunter Biden's gun purchase. Hines also noted Hunter Biden said in his audiobook, “I stayed clean for about two weeks.”

Hines then entered into evidence an Alaska Airlines subpoena response, indicating Hunter Biden flew from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) on the evening of Oct. 5, landing in Philadelphia early on Oct. 6.

Hines noted this was one week before the gun purchase. Prosecutors played another recording from Hunter Biden’s “Beautiful Things," from the chapter “Lost Highway.” In the book, Hunter Biden says he was coming back to the East Coast "with the hope of getting clean.”

Based on Hunter Biden's memoir and the physical evidence presented by prosecutors, it sure looks like Biden was using drugs when he returned to the East Coast from California. Prosecutors also entered into evidence several text messages from Biden, including one sent to Hallie Biden a day after the gun was purchased.

Prosecutor Derek Hines displayed a message that Hunter Biden allegedly sent to Hallie Biden, his late brother Beau Biden's widow, on Oct. 13, 2018, that indicated he was “waiting for a dealer” in Wilmington.

In another message the following day, Hunter Biden allegedly said he was sleeping in a car smoking crack.

The defense said earlier that Hunter Biden would lie to Hallie Biden, with whom he had a relationship after Beau Biden's death, about his whereabouts because he didn’t want to see her.

Later messages, from November, the prosecution showed, appeared to show Hunter Biden texting Allie Kennedy, in which she references his apparent crack usage around the time of the messages.

Other messages from that month, appear to show Hunter setting up meetings with other dealers, exchanging information about quantities and prices. In a Dec. 18 message, Hunter Biden appeared to say “I’m insane and a addict.”

Maybe Hunter Biden was lying to Hallie Biden so he could avoid seeing her, but if that is the case he picked some of the worst excuses imaginable. Not "I'm walking my dog" or "I'm not really feeling well today". No, he went with "I'm waiting for a dealer" and "I'm smoking crack in a car" (or words to that effect). 

The jury is going to hear from several Biden family members over the course of the trial, including Hallie Biden, but Hunter Biden's own words have already done significant damage to his defense. He said he was only clean for two weeks in the fall of 2018. He said he was waiting on a dealer the day after he bought a gun, and he said he was smoking crack two days after he purchased the revolver. These aren't third-party allegations. This information comes straight from the defendants mouth (or fingers, in the case of the texts), and I suspect it's already done significant damage to his defense.