Convicted felon Hunter Biden's presence advising the president may hurt Biden's ability to deride Trump

President Joe Biden's son, Hunter Biden – a convicted felon awaiting sentencing – has been closely advising his father to stay in the race, which may hurt the president's ability to deride former President Donald Trump's criminal record on the campaign trail. 

"All Americans should be highly concerned that at a time where international tensions are on the rise, particularly with the CCP, the Biden family bag man is now in the White House," Mike Howell, the executive director of the Oversight Project at the Heritage Foundation, told Fox News Digital on Thursday. 

"Given that this administration appears to be on its last legs, I fear that a lot of requested favors from foreigners that have leverage over Biden are being considered while he still has power," Howell said. 

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Hunter Biden was convicted last month on three felony charges relating to a handgun purchase in 2018.

And independent voters overwhelmingly approved of Trump's description of Hunter Biden as "a convicted felon" during last week's CNN Presidential Debate, according to Fox News Digital's focus dial group, despite the former president's recent criminal conviction in the Manhattan hush money trial case. 

"When [President Biden] talks about a convicted felon — his son is a convicted felon," Trump said during the debate. "At a very high level, his son is convicted, gonna be convicted probably numerous other times, should have been convicted before."

Approvals from Democrats trended downward during the answer. Meanwhile, Republican and independent approval continued to increase throughout Trump's comments. 

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Amid the post-debate panic among the Democratic Party due to Biden's lackluster performance against Trump, Biden's family has huddled around him, with Hunter Biden emerging as a key advisor, according to a report from the New York Times. Hunter Biden was one of the strongest voices in imploring his father to stay in the presidential race during a family huddle at Camp David on Sunday, the Times reported.

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The president’s son was joined by First Lady Jill Biden in encouraging him to see things through to November, the report noted, while other family members such as a grandchild have expressed interest in trying to do more to help the campaign, with the grandchild suggesting they could reach out to influencers on social media.

"Hunter Biden wants Americans to see the version of his father that he knows – scrappy and in command of the facts – rather than the stumbling, aging president Americans saw on Thursday night," the report said, noting that the president’s son has "long" been one of his most trusted advisers.

Fox News Digital's Michael Lee contributed to this report.