moments ago the first lady, jill biden, just arrived to court as her son is about to face trial, a historic first there and jury selection has started. >> this one good morning. also, dr. anthony fauci is now retired from government, but he will be back on capitol hill for what's expected to be a combative and contentious hearing as republican chins grill him over the origins of covid and history being made in mexico. the nation has elected its first female president. i'm kate bolduan with john berman. sarah is out today. this is cnn news central happening now. jury selection is underway in the federal gun trial of president biden's son, hunter biden. hunter biden did arrive according in wilmington, delaware, just a short time ago, just minutes later first lady, jill biden, also walked into the courthouse. hunter biden's trial marks the first time and you this history that a child is sitting president is on trial and at the center of it all is a revolver. biden is charged with illegally buying it and possessing it while abusing or being addicted to drugs. that is the charge cnn's evan perez is outside the federal courthouse in wilmington, delaware. where are we this morning, gavin, once the latest hey, john wrote this historic trial is now officially underway judge maryellen noreika has gobbled. >> the start of the proceedings. we have about 250 jurors in the courthouse. they're going to be led through a series of questions about their political views, their activities, their views on gun control, their views on addiction, whether they have a relationship with the bidens, of course, is the smallest state in the united states. it's also a state where the biden family looms very large. so we expect that this is going to take a little while to be, able to see a seat, a jury. what we know right now, john, is that this this is a trial that could take just over a week. it's the case that looms large politically. obviously, the first son of a sitting president, being put on trial here by the federal government by joe biden's own justice department is also very personal. we're going to have a lot of his personal activities, including his struggle with drug addiction that is going to be part of this trial. you saw the first lady, jill biden, show up here to show support for him, we are told that when she entered the courtroom she gave him a hug and they sat there just behind his table this is a case, obviously, john, that has gone a long way since 20 and 18. this is when the justice department first started investigating hunter biden for his business activities. possible tax violations, and over for the period of that over the intervening years, we saw we've seen a lot of information come out of this, including, of course, his laptop, which prosecutors are going to use some of that evidence from his lab to try to show that he was drug addicted when he bought this firearm, this gun back in 2018, he owned this gone for about 11 days back in 2018 before his then woman, the woman who he was dating with, threw it away. and so that's where this case enters. we know john that at the end of this, of course, hunter biden places very, very long odds. >> there is no doubt that on this gun, there is no doubt that he was struggling with drug addiction there is also no doubt that he talked about it. he's admitted to some of this a publicly in his memoir in some of those text messages that the government is going to use against him hunter biden's pleaded not guilty, but he is also going to try to poke polls in the government's case, trying to argue that he didn't know necessarily that he was addicted to drugs when he when he when he signed those forms not allowed him to buy that gun back in 2018. again, this proceeding is just now underway. we expect that jury selection is going to take probably today into tomorrow john in every just a little bit more about how biden intends to defend himself and whether there's any discussion of a possible plea deal. still, even at this late stage well, i mean, there is always a chance of a plea deal right up until the right during the trial. that happened. that does happen from time the time from all our conversations with lawyers involved, that does not seem likely you'll remember, of course, that during this investigation back in 2020 23, there was a plea deal that was reached and then it fell apart spectacularly inside this very courthouse. they judge, asked some questions about some of the terms of that edl and it fell apart. of course, that's why hunter biden now is now facing these gun charges here in delaware, and he's also facing additional tax charges in coulomb's before nia. so it is possible that there could be some kind of deal worked out, but it does not look likely. again, we for based on everything we know from this case, that the odds are very much against hunter biden. of course, we'll see what a jury ends up deciding. john could be a very emotional and painful week for hunter biden and the biden family. me perez, thanks so much for being with us this morning, joining us now is seen in legal analyst and criminal defense attorney joy jack jackson and bernardo veal on a criminal defense attorney and former new york prosecutor, the number of times i still find a way his gruesome even though you're good, thickly like my work has been i'm burned out. let's start where where john was leaving off with the idea of a plea deal. still, do you think it could happen still who who would want it, who wouldn't it's still possible that hunter biden can plead guilty. >> you gotta think you could plead guilty up until the time there's a verdict, you have to think with hunter biden unfortunately, the government's evidence is very strong with the government permits evidence number one, bn strong also contemplating the witnesses that are going to testify against you. do you want to put your ex-wife do this? do you want to put put in this? you're your brother's widow. do you want to put her through this so you want to put again, get your laundry, your dirty laundry? it out. so these are things to consider. and also because you're facing jail, it's not positive that you will get a jail sentence, but because there's a possibility of a jail sentence it's likely if you plead guilty, you can try to avoid that because there'll be mitigation that a judge would take into account. so in a case like this, you know, it's defense attorneys is all about mitigating exposure and in a case like this, it would be in his best interest because of the strength of the case for him to plead guilty. >> what easing of the case against a hunter biden here, joey, i don't think much of it. and here's what i mean by that. i think that listen, what courts have to be about our equity, you seek equitable results in court and prosecutors have a great deal of discretion russian, were in different times, kate were in bizarro times, political retribution times. we're talking about a case with someone who was addicted. there are many people in this world who are addicted. that's a problem. i mean, it's a real problem. people can relate to a person who had a gun for a period of 11 days, a person who had a lot going on in his life, losing his brother bo in 2015, right. leading to this addiction problem and the things that stem from it, losing his mom's a child, losing his sister as a child. why am i saying all this? but an artist spoke to a very critical issue of mitigation that's what us defense attorneys all about. it's about giving information that lessens the case and when you have a plea deal last year where there was a diversion program status trouble for two years. once you stay out of trouble, you're all going to be good. that's what this is about. and i think if we bring some common sense and good judgment, prosecutors would use that discretion to do that, but they won't because we're in such difficult times, but it's a pretty straightforward case. for sure. >> this whole issue of the question on the federal form that they fill out, i think is fascinating because this gets to because biden's defense team, it's been said is going to try to lean into that. he did not believe or he did not think that he was addicted or an addict at the time? hi, i'm a filling out the form because one of the questions on the form is, are you an unlawful user of or addicted to illegal drugs? >> a burner you think do you see that as gray area? i mean, who determines who is an addict? >> exactly. and that's the issue that the defense is going to hone in on to the point that they wanted to call an expert to testify about addiction to tau exactly. >> so then the question would be, who would you call ask questions of? unfortunately, it seems that hunter biden will probably be the only person to only witness that will be able to give information that on that date at that time, i didn't believe that i was an attic. i had just left rehab 11 days prior, like i did not believe i was addict, so therefore, i do not believe that i was lying on this form. same thing with the possession of the firearm, however, there's going to be conflicting testimony from other witnesses. so it's all going to boil down, i guess, on hunter biden testify, even though i don't recommend for him to testify because he's old i've been up to so much having his laptop having his book, having statements that he's made, text messages, conversations with his ex-wife and with his brother's widow. so dealing with all of that, i wouldn't want to expose them to testify, but unfortunately, in a case like this, this there may be no other resorts. >> she's saying i'm interested in an all-call to conundrum of, you. i don't know if i've ever heard you recommend that a defendant takes the stand, but it does this kind of presents an interesting situation like katie, it always depends and i think a case like this, you have a serious jury nullification issue. and what do i mean in english? jurors look at things and things have to make sense to them. and sometimes people have sympathetic not to be clear, you can get a lot of information out as it relates to mr. hunter biden three who family members, and those people, you know, the witness list, ex-wives, et cetera. will tell you what he's gone through. the dark moments he had the experiences he was enduring at that particular time. i think that'll be mitigation, but in an instance like this, yes, the problem has he'd be salvaged. he has a book out there speaking about addiction, right? there are certain things in text messages. he'll be questioned on saying to ali who he was with his brothers, ex-wife. are you kidding are you crazy? get it right now. why did you put it in a dumpster? so there's a lot to overcome, but i just think that this is a very sympathetic case. and at the end of the de, the jury, notwithstanding the defense or lack thereof, could say, you know what, we're throwing this out of here? risky, write, jury nullification, but i think if there's going to be an outflow him, that maybe interests and jury selection underway as we speak, it's great to see you guys. thank you so much. >> so, president, biden set to announce big moves on the border. very soon, likely this week, what actions he's trying to take and why republicans are not happy about it, despite there continued calls to secure the southern border. plus a state of emergency is in place in atlanta, after multiple water main breaks, summer school canceled today over it, the mayor was just on with us us and he is now apologizing. and some beaches in california are closed this morning after a man sustained multiple shark bites of weekend the increase in wildfires is exponential unpredictable uncontrolled well, the consequences, the need to do something is urgent slightly birth with we have dry burdex and vietnam on cnn remember space and leg room? >> that's more like it the three role alexis dx before planning the big 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me, unpack. >> this is cool shop with the facts at the all new car facts.com realms only hope need a strong now off to united house of the dragon streaming exclusively on macs are happening now, the jury selection is underway in the federal gun trial of president biden, son hunter biden. hunter biden did arrive a court very shortly ago also in the courtroom firstly, jill biden, now, hunter biden is charged legally buying a revolver and possessing it. well abusing or being addicted to drugs with us. now a cnn political commentator, former white house communications director kate benningfield former trump 2020 director of strategic communications, mark lottery, were to do a lot of communicating right here. thank you both for being with us, kate, i just want to ask you because you have worked for president biden for quite a long time from the campaign all the way through the first years in the white house what was it like for him when issues surrounding hunter biden came up? we know we spent the night in wilmington, delaware. he's there and wilmington, delaware right now. jill biden at the courthouse right now. so what was it like for him? >> it's hard for him. he's a father first, he is somebody who truly puts family first even amidst everything he has going on in his life. and so like any father, it is hard for him when his son is dealing with difficult issues and don't forget you know, their family has been through the struggle of addiction alongside hunter witch hunters spoken quite movingly and eloquently about of course, it is challenging for him as a father now, obviously it does not prevent him from focusing on the work of the country, but like any family man, it's hard for him when his son is going through something difficult mark, this is the first time the child of a sitting president has ever gone on trial. and this is happening in a legal system that many republics, including donald trump claim he is rigged against them it's pretty bad job bringing the justice system if the president's son is on trial? yes well, this one is pretty hard to ignore. >> obviously, the facts are pretty clear on this one, but really this is not the trial that i'm mostly concerned about. obviously, this current trial is the one that deals with hunter's well-documented addictions and some of his inner demons and he'll answer to the justices some. it's the one in september that i'm more concerned about. that's the one that obviously involves tax evasion for an influence peddling the millions of dollars that were coming into the biden family from foreign entities. and so this one very personal for the bidens and i feel for them, i hope hunter gets the help he needs. it's the next one that i'm more focused on it neither cases or any connection at all. >> we should note to president biden himself, these are both issues that deal with hunter mark. i want to ask you now about the case involving donald trump now convicted of a felony, 34 counts here in man and hattan, lara trump, who is now helping run the republican party, went on tv this weekend and spoke out against republican senate candidate larry hogan in maryland for the fact that larry hogan said really, i think nothing more than we have to respect the justice system and watch this play out. listen to what lara trump said i think anybody who's not speaking up in the face of really something that should never again have seen the light of day at trial that would never have been brought against any other person aside from the rnc support the respect does anyone respective anymore do you he doesn't deserve a detective, anyone in the republican party at this point. >> and quite frankly, anybody in america, if that's the way you feel, that's very upsetting to hear that she's with the rnc saying that about the republican candidate, mark, is that the way you want to take back the senate well i think it was a political mistake the way larry hogan handled this look, maryland's a deep blue state, but still 33%, about a third of the voters voted for donald trump in 2020. >> he needs all of those voters and 17% more to claim a senate seats. so if you alienate that 33%, you've got a much bigger, much bigger mountain to climb. so politically, i think he handled this badly and it's gonna be a tough race for him if he's got to try to win back, the supporters of donald trump and then add the moderates, the independence, the people who don't like inflation in the open borders on top of that i do wonder if in a blue state, i mean maryland is really blue it actually helps larry hogan to be getting attacked by the trump's it probably does, but i will say broadly speaking, for the rnc and for the trump campaign, for the trump operation. >> this is a completely bananas political strategy. i think that's actually the term of art. it is insane, okay. >> if you look at the data, look at the polling that has come out post verdict, you see that norm, more than half of independents say they believe that trump should end