As Hunter Biden’s high-stakes gun trial continues, the courtroom scenes are growing more gripping by the day. On Tuesday, the jury was treated to a flurry of opening arguments, and the first wave of testimony began to unravel the case. Hunter Biden, 53, is facing three felony charges over accusations that he lied on a federal gun form in 2018 about his drug use. This historic case marks the first criminal charges against the child of a sitting U.S. president.

Gun Shop Employee’s Bombshell Testimony

The trial hit a key moment when Gordon Cleveland, an employee at StarQuest Shooters and Survival Supply in Wilmington, took the stand. Cleveland described witnessing Hunter Biden checking 'no' on the form when asked if he was an unlawful user of or addicted to controlled substances. The prosecutor, Derek Hines, highlighted that Biden didn’t seek any clarification or show signs of confusion over the question, driving home the root of two felony charges against him.

Grilling Special Agent Erika Jensen

Special Agent Erika Jensen was another focal point of Tuesday's proceedings. Prosecutors aimed to demonstrate Biden’s history of drug use through text messages and excerpts from his memoir. However, defense attorney Abbe Lowell was quick to counter, questioning Jensen about the scarcity of October 2018 text messages that reference drug use. Jensen will be back in the hot seat on Wednesday for further examination.

Ex-Lovers and Their Revelations

Testimonies from Biden’s ex-girlfriend Zoe Kestan and ex-wife Kathleen Buhle added more fuel to the fire. Buhle recalled the first time she found a crack pipe in their home and her constant anxiety over his drug use, which she monitored even after their 2017 divorce. Kestan's testimony was equally riveting as she detailed moving to California with Biden to help him get sober, only to find him surrounded by drugs and chaos.

Kestan also recounted their early New York days, describing Biden's drug use during their romantic trysts and his significant cash withdrawals, purportedly for drugs. These testimonies paint a gritty picture of Biden's life around the time he purchased the gun.

FBI's Financial Scrutiny

Special Agent Jensen also shed light on Biden’s financial records, detailing transactions that suggest a struggle with alcohol alongside his drug issues. Prosecutors asked pointed questions about whether drug dealers accept credit cards, aiming to clarify why Biden dealt heavily in cash.

Defense Strategy: A Time Gap Approach

Lowell pressed hard on the timeline, emphasizing that many of the critical drug-use messages were from periods outside the crucial October 2018 window. This is key to their defense: Biden could argue he was in recovery and didn’t lie about being addicted when he bought the gun.

What’s Next?

Court resumes on Wednesday with Lowell continuing his cross-examination of Special Agent Jensen. Preparation hints that the following testimonies could come from Buhle, Kestan, and potentially Hallie Biden, Hunter Biden’s former lover and his deceased brother’s widow. Each testimony could add layers of complexity to this already tangled case.

Join us for live updates as the courtroom fireworks continue. With each new testimony, more is revealed about the secretive and tumultuous period surrounding Hunter Biden’s purchase of the firearm at the heart of this historic trial.