there's classified documents in this stuff. he knew he had them over the course of the next year talking to his lawyers and they told him to turn them over. he knew it when the fbi told him we keep finding stuff in the stuff you're turning over. it will in the way judge cannon handles things drag it out just a little bit more. >> a grand jury indictment came down on june 8, 2023. anyone's guess whether we get to the second anniversary. bradley moss, thank you so much for your time tonight. >> have a good night. that is our show for this evening. "way too early" with jonathan lemire is coming up next. this case was about the illegal choices the defendant made while in the throes of addiction, his choice to lie on a government form when he bought a gun and the choice to then possess that gun. no one in this country is above the law. everyone must be accountable for their actions, even this defendant. >> that was special counsel david weiss speaking to reporters after a jury found hunter biden guilty on three felony counts in this federal gun trial. we'll go over the key take-aways including what hunter's sentence could look like, how president biden reacted, and what one juror is now saying about what happened during deliberations. plus, we'll break down new poll numbers that show who voters in key battleground states say they believe is best to handle the economy ahead of november's election. and also, despite his long running feud with donald trump, senator mitch mcconnell says he will attend a meeting with the former president this week. their first face-to-face meeting in four years. we'll talk about what to expect from that. good morning and welcome to "way too early" on this wednesday, june 12th. i'm jonathan lemire. thanks for starting your day with us, and we have a lot to get to this morning, and we will begin here. a jury has found hunter biden guilty on all three felony gun charges in his federal trial. the jury reached its verdict yesterday in wilmington, delaware, after only about three hours of deliberations split over two days. the president's son had pleaded not guilty to the three counts tied to lying on a federal gun application about his drug use. sources inside the defense room tell nbc news that following the verdict hunter biden thanked everyone in the room by name, hugged them, and tried to raise their spirits. he later issued this public statement. "i am more grateful today for the love and support i experienced this last week from melissa, my family, my friends, and my community than i am disappointed by the outcome. recovery is possible by the grace of god, and i am blessed to experience that gift one day at a time." hunter biden could face-up to 25 years in prison, and each count carries a maximum fine of $250,000. no sentencing date has been set, but under federal sentencing guild line recommendations and as a first-time offender, "the new york times" points out that someone in hunter biden's position typically would face 15 to 21 months behind bars, significantly a lighter sentence. special counsel david weiss spoke briefly to reporters following the verdict. >> no one in this country is above the law. everyone must be accountable for their actions, even this defendant. however, hunter biden should no more accountable than any other citizen convicted of this same conduct. the prosecution has been and will continue to be committed to this principle and to the principles of federal prosecution in carrying out its responsibilities. >> both hunter biden and his attorney have indicated that they plan to appeal. president biden issued a statement reacting to his son's guilty verdict. it reads in part this. "i will accept the outcome of this case and will continue to respect the judicial process as hunter considers an appeal. jill and i will always be there for hunter and the rest of our family with our love and support. nothing will ever change that." last week president biden said he will not pardon his son. the president also had an emotional reunion with hunter late yesterday. the two hugged on the tarmac after the president changed his schedule and flew to delaware following an event in d.c. preceding his departure from italy early this morning. hunter biden's guilty verdict comes as former president trump was found guilty of all 34 charges against him in his new york hush money trial a couple weeks ago. while the trump campaign decried the former president's verdict they were quick to call hunter biden's as distractions. >> well, first, let's remember this was joe biden's corrupt doj that tried to negotiate a sweetheart plea deal with outside immunity unrelated to this case. >> there are two tiers of justice, and again they wanted to let him off of everything. >> and now i see the law being used in sort of these ticky-tacky ways missing the main point which would have been the biden family corruption and just trying to ensnare president trump because he's winning. >> do you think the department of justice is still weaponized against conservatives even though we see nice verdict today? >> absolutely. when they tell school moms they're domestic terrorists because they don't like what's being taught in their classrooms we still can go into it, yes, ma'am. >> they're sticking with their talking points despite the facts. meanwhile, a juror in the hunter biden trial spoke just moments after the verdict was read. in an anonymous interview with nbc news juror number 10 insisted the decision to vote guilty was not based on any political leanings. >> it was not politically motivated. politics never played in anything that we said in the jury room and as we were deliberating. of course we spent the last five days together and yesterday and today, and we were not allowed to talk about any of the case until the trial was over. like i told a lot of reporters, i've seen a lot worse than hunter. so honestly, i don't think putting hunter in jail is going to help anybody. i hope that -- i hope that hunter is clean, and i hope that his sobriety is going well, and i hope it continues to go well. >> we should note the jurors in this case are talking out even anonymously while no one, no one in the trump case has had for fear of retribution. now let's bring in state attorney for palm beach county, dave aronberg. dave, good to see you this morning. first let's get your broad take-aways. what was your reaction to the guilty verdict? >> i was not surprised, jonathan. i thought this was a cut and dry case. the prosecution had the facts and law on their side. hunter biden's own words came back to hunt him. he wrote an auto birog aef talking about being in the throes of the addiction at the time he purchased this gun. and he was in denial. but, look, his own words came back to hurt him because his text messages right after he bought the gun, the day after indicated that he was going to buy drugs from a drug dealer named mooky, and then two days after he bought the gun he was texting his daughter that he was on a car in wilmington smoking crack. so that's why i thought the prosecutors had him. now, whether they should have brought this case, whether this was selective prosecution is another matter. and i agree with a jury that i think that the doj probably should have had bigger fish to fry, and i wonder would he have been prosecuted had his name been hunter smith? but it is what it is, and i think the jury did the right thing in the following the evidence and the law. >> we'll have far more on the political fallout of this later in the show, but i noted in some of my reporting last night that president biden has told associates in recent weeks exactly what you just said. he believes if he weren't running for re-election, hunter biden would have gotten that plea deal last summer that would have kept him out of prison, but that fell apart. so, dave, what do we tink? what potential sentence realistically will hunter biden face? >> i think probably probation. now, they're going to look at a lot of things, for example, his lack of a rap sheet, the fact that he was in the throes of addiction during this time. he didn't hold onto the gun very long. after it was disposed of by his then-girlfriend he didn't get it back and never used it. there are a lot of factors in play that tell me the prosecutors may just ask for probation, and even if they don't i think the judge is more likely than not to give him probation, i don't so see what is served by throwing him in prison. i think he has a bigger problem in california during the trial that's upcoming later this year on tax charges. you don't want to mess with the irs. but when it comes to this case, this is a statute that's rarely prosecuted, rarely used in a stand alone charge. usually it's a add on. then the prosecutors will add on this charge of buying a gun while they're in the throes of addiction or if there's drugs found on them at the time. also this statute thrown out by the supreme court which is very pro-gun these days, very second amechlt, all these factors tell me that i think hunter biden is more likely than not to just get probation in this case. >> and you're more likely to -- do you think there's any strength there? >> i think it's tough based on the facts. the facts are pretty clear in this case. their best chance on appeal is go to the conservative judges and justices and to say this is an unconstitutional statute. the fifth circuit county of appeal a very conservative court throughout this statute. they have to declare once and for all this statute is unconstitutional, it's vague and puts restrictions on your law-abiding citizens who are trying to exercise their second amendment rights. it is ironic, jonathan, you have people on the right who are very pro-gun, very pro-second amendment who are now applauding this conviction. it's a topsy-turvy political world we're living in. >> no doubt. we'll have much more on the politics of this a little later in the show. state attorney for palm beach county, dave aronberg, thank you for starting us off this morning. we appreciate it. next up here just hours after his son's verdict on gun charges, president biden touted his efforts to strengthen gun safety legislation. we'll bring you some of his new remarks. plus, we'll take a look at some of last night's consequential primary results from races across the country. those stories and a check on sports and weather as the sun starts from up behind the u.s. capitol. we'll be right back. from up be. pitol. we'll be right back. ah, these bills are crazy. she has no idea she's sitting on a goldmine. well she doesn't know that if she owns a life insurance policy of $100,000 or more she can sell all or part of it to coventry for cash. even a term policy. even a term policy? even a term policy! find out if you're sitting on a goldmine. call coventry direct today at the number on your screen, or visit coventrydirect.com. this isn't charmin! no wonder i don't feel as clean. here's charmin ultra strong. ahhh! my bottom's been saved! with its diamond weave texture, charmin ultra strong cleans better with fewer sheets and less effort. enjoy the go with charmin. here's to getting better with age. here's to beating these two every thursday. help fuel today with boost high protein, complete nutrition you need... ...without the stuff you don't. so, here's to now. boost. welcome back. just hours after he learned of his son's guilty verdict, president biden delivered remarks at a major gun reform event yesterday. speaking to every town's gun sense university, the president touted his administration's work on gun safety and his plan if he wins again in november. >> you're changing the nation, you really are. you're changing the nation. it builds upon the dozens of executive actions my administration has taken to reduce gun violence, more than any of my predecessors. everything from cracking down to gun trafficking and so much more. folks, we're not stopping there. it's time once again to do what i did when i was a senator. ban assault weapons. >> the president's speech as you can hear was briefly interrupted by pro-palestinian protesters calling on him to stop the war in gaza. instead of ignoring the interruption, the president addressed it. take a listen. >> four more years! four more years! >> folks, they care. in the children have been lost. >> important issues both gaza and guns. now, new polling finds improving views about president biden's ability to manage the economy. according to the latest numbers from the financial times and the university of michigan, 41% of registered voters trust donald trump more to handle the economy compared today 37% who say they trust biden more. as recently as february trump's lead over biden was 11 points when that same question was asked, now just 4. overall voters rank the economy as their most important issue by a wide margin, 24 points ahead of the future of social security and medicare. immigration comes third along with crime. now, let's take a look at some of last night's primary results. republican congresswoman nancy mace of south carolina did defeat a well funded primary challenger who had the backing of former speaker kevin mccarthy. mace, of course, one of the eight republicans who voted to oust mccarthy last year. in north dakota trump backed congressman kelly armstrong won the state's republican nomination for governor. outgoing governor doug burgham had supported the challenger in that race, marking a rare split between trump and one of his potential vp contenders. and in nevada army veteran sam brown who received a late endorsement from donald trump won the state's gop senate primary. he'll take on democratic senator jacky rosen this november in what's expected to be one of the most competitive senate races in the country this year. >> next up here we'll take a turn to sports and bring you a preview of tonight's game three of the nba finals. plus, we'll explain the beef keeping joey chestnut out of this year's nathan's famous hot dog eating contest, a contest he's dominated for so long. we'll bring you that next. o long we'll bring you that next. touge and tough to keep wondering if this is as good as it gets. but trelegy has shown me that there's still beauty and breath to be had. because with three medicines in one inhaler, trelegy keeps my airways open and prevents future flare-ups. and with one dose a day, trelegy improves lung function so i can breathe more freely all day and night. trelegy won't replace a rescue inhaler for sudden breathing problems. tell your doctor if you have a heart condition or high blood pressure before taking it. do not take trelegy more than prescribed. trelegy may increase your risk of thrush, pneumonia, and osteoporosis. call your doctor if worsened breathing, chest pain, mouth or tongue swelling, problems urinating, vision changes, or eye pain occur. ♪ what a wonderful world ♪ ask your doctor about once-daily trelegy for copd because breathing should be beautiful. if you have chronic kidney disease you can reduce the risk of kidney failure with farxiga. because there are places you'd like to be. farxiga can cause serious side effects, including ketoacidosis that may be fatal, dehydration, urinary tract, or genital yeast infections, and low blood sugar. a rare, life-threatening bacterial infection in the skin of the perineum could occur. stop taking farxiga and call your doctor right away if you have symptoms of this infection, an allergic reaction, or ketoacidosis. ♪ far-xi-ga ♪ sup? -who are you? an allergic reaction, or ketoacidosis. i'm your inner child. get in. ♪ ♪ [ engine revving ] listen. horsepower keeps you going, but torque gets you going. ♪ ♪ [ engine revving ] oh now we're torquin'! the dodge hornet r/t. the totally torqued-out crossover. here's to getting better with age. here's to beating these two every thursday. help fuel today with boost high protein, complete nutrition you need... ...without the stuff you don't. so, here's to now. boost. deep right field. at the wall, and it's off the base of the fence. this game is tied. riley green demolishes a baseball, and he's not done. here he comes. lakers lead. a rock around the bases for riley green. >> that was a little league grand slam for the detroit tigers. riley green clearing the bases with a triple hit off-the-wall right center field in the third inning, and then he scored the go ahead run on that throwing error, but the washington nationals took advantage of the tiger's late game miscues and went onto beat them 5-4 in extras. another stellar performance on the mound from pittsburgh pirates phenom rookie paul skenes. he received a standing ovation from the cardinals crowd -- those are some knowledgeable fans -- when he was pulled from the game in the seventh. we turn now to the nba finals. the dallas mavericks will host the boston celtics tonight in game three. the celtics might be playing without center christof porzingis with a left leg injury he suffered in game two on sunday. porzingis had just come back for game one after missing more than five weeks with a calf strain. long issues and celtics babied him all yearlong, wept back, injured again. 50/50 it seems like he'll be able to play if he does play, probably limit. how will the celtics adjust, this is concern boston fans have had all yearlong. the mavs will try to hand the celtics their first road loss of the post-season to try to cut their series deficit in half. meanwhile a third of golf's four major championships, the u.s. open, will tee off tomorrow at pine hurst country club in north carolina. tiger woods who has faired even worse in majors after returning to competitive golf after he was jurred in a car crash in february 2021, despite all that tiger expressed confidence in his game ahead of this week's tournament. >> do you feel like your body right now is in a spot that you can win this tournament, has it approved enough you feel like you have the strength to carry for four rounds? >> yeah, i do. i do feel like i have the strength to be able to do it. it's just a matter of doing it. this golf course is going to test every single aspect of your game especially mentally, and just the mental discipline that it takes to play this particular golf course, and it's going to take a lot. >> in a stunning headline here, joey chestnut will not compete in the nathan's famous hot dog eating contest next month. the perennial champion has been banned from the fourth of july event because of his reported sponsorship deal with the competing brand named impossible foods. in a statement yesterday major league eating said in part this, "we are devastated to learn joey chestnut has chosen to represent a rival brand that sells plant based hot dogs rather than competing." . in a series of posts on twitter "x" chestnut wrote he was gutted to learn about his ban. he said his decision will deprive the great fans of the holiday's usual joy and entertainment. chestnut has won the annual coney island contest 16 times in a row. i'm not going to watch any of this footage. he's also won the last eight straight years. he ate a world record 86 hot dugs and buns in 2021 and did 62 last year to retain his title. time now for the weather and let's go to meteorologist angie lassman for the forecast. crew here can attest i closed my eyes at the very end of that reel. >> i too shielded my eyes. i'm so sorry, joey chestnut, but i can't look at that this early in the morning but i can look at this. i'll tell you about the forecast instead. we've got a whole lot of run already fallen across the state of florida and more to come. 7 million people under these flood watches right now, and you can see how unsettled it at this hour, and it's going to remain like that not just through the day but the next couple of days. we've got a stationary front hanging out and mo