Wilmington, Delaware - Jury deliberations began on Monday in the trial of Hunter Biden on federal gun charges, a historic first criminal prosecution of the child of a sitting US president.

Jury deliberations began on Monday in the trial of Hunter Biden on federal gun charges, a historic first criminal prosecution of the child of a sitting US president.

Hunter Biden (54), the son of President Joe Biden, is accused of lying about his illegal drug use when he bought a handgun in 2018, a felony.

His trial comes as his father is seeking re-election and less than two weeks after the conviction on business fraud charges of Donald Trump, the likely Republican presidential nominee in November.

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The 12-member jury began deliberations after prosecutors and Hunter Biden's defense team presented their closing arguments, CNN and other US media reported.

Hunter Biden did not take the stand during the one-week trial held in the Biden hometown of Wilmington, Delaware.

The proceedings, along with another case in which Hunter Biden faces tax evasion charges in California, complicates Democrats' efforts to keep the focus on Trump, the first former president ever to be convicted of a crime.

First Lady Jill Biden attended several days of the trial. The president did not attend but said he and Jill were "proud" of Hunter Biden.

"As the President, I don't and won't comment on pending federal cases, but as a Dad, I have boundless love for my son, confidence in him, and respect for his strength," Biden said in a statement.

The Yale-trained lawyer and lobbyist-turned-artist is charged with falsely stating when buying a .38 caliber revolver in 2018 that he was not using drugs illegally.

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He is also charged with illegal possession of the firearm, which he had for just 11 days in October of that year.

The president's son, who has written unsparingly about his addiction, claimed that at the moment he bought the revolver, he did not consider himself to be an addict.

If found guilty, Hunter Biden could face 25 years in prison, although as a first-time offender, jail time is unlikely.

The White House has said there would be no presidential pardon for Hunter Biden in case of a conviction.