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Wednesday was already going to be a somber day for first son Hunter Biden, as he appeared in federal court to formalize a plea deal over tax and gun charges after a yearslong investigation. In exchange, the president鈥檚 son would avoid prison. The deal had elicited cries of favoritism from Republicans.聽

Then, in a surprise, the agreement fell apart over questions from the judge overseeing the case as to whether it would immunize Mr. Biden from future potential charges, including unregistered foreign lobbying and more tax charges. For now, the president鈥檚 son has pleaded not guilty to all existing charges, as lawyers for both sides prepare briefs in anticipation of resumed negotiations.聽

The drama in a Wilmington, Delaware, courthouse has raised the stakes not only for Hunter Biden but also for his father. What the Biden family had clearly hoped would be the quiet conclusion of a multiyear saga now threatens to become a longer, more complicated ordeal that could overshadow the president鈥檚 reelection campaign. And it has given Republicans fresh ammunition as they explore the possibility 鈥� for now, still notional 鈥� of an impeachment inquiry.

House Republicans, who had labeled the younger Mr. Biden鈥檚 original plea bargain a 鈥渟weetheart deal,鈥� have been conducting their own investigations of his business dealings, as well as the Department of Justice鈥檚 handling of his case. A congressional hearing last week featured testimony from two聽Internal Revenue Service聽agents who claimed that Justice officials slow-walked or otherwise impeded their investigation.

鈥淏y refusing to accept the plea deal, the judge signaled that there鈥檚 more to the story than the Bidens claim,鈥� says Jennifer Lawless, a political scientist at the University of Virginia, in an email. 鈥淏ut similar to the way that [former President Donald] Trump鈥檚 multiple indictments don鈥檛 seem to be hurting him among Republicans, it鈥檚 hard to imagine that this will matter to Democrats.鈥�

Still, she adds, journalists will now ask the president questions about this at every opportunity. And any minute he isn鈥檛 talking about economic growth, reproductive rights, and legislative achievements is a minute lost.

At the White House briefing Wednesday, spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre framed the issue as a family matter and maintained that President Joe Biden has steered clear of involvement in his son鈥檚 legal problems.聽

鈥淭he president, the first lady, they love their son, and they support him as he continues to rebuild his life,鈥� Ms. Jean-Pierre said. 鈥淭his case was handled independently, as all of you know, by the Justice Department under the leadership of a prosecutor appointed by the former president, President Trump.鈥澛�

Ms. Jean-Pierre was initially alluding to the younger Mr. Biden鈥檚 struggles with drug addiction following the 2015 death of his brother, Beau. He has since paid back taxes, plus penalties and interest, for two years in which he failed to file returns. As part of the plea deal that fell apart, Mr. Biden would have avoided being charged for聽falsely saying he was not a drug user when he purchased a .38-caliber revolver at a Wilmington gun store on Oct. 12, 2018. He agreed to enter a pretrial diversion program under that deal.聽

Adding to the political firestorm, House Ways and Means Committee Chair Adam Smith moved Tuesday to block the plea deal. The Republican filed a brief urging the judge in Wilmington to consider last week鈥檚 testimony from the two IRS investigators claiming that the younger Mr. Biden had received preferential treatment.聽

President Biden has faced continued allegations that he helped his son in his son鈥檚 lucrative international business dealings 鈥� trading on the family name 鈥� and that the senior Mr. Biden benefited financially. The White House has repeatedly denied such assertions, but has changed its message from the president 鈥渘ever discussed business鈥� with his son to he 鈥渨as never in business鈥� with his son.聽

In fact, it was President Trump鈥檚 phone call to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in 2019 requesting he 鈥渓ook into鈥� Hunter Biden and his then-vice president father that led to Mr. Trump鈥檚 first impeachment.聽

Now, Mr. Trump faces multiple criminal indictments, including new federal charges expected soon over his alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election result. And, to complicate matters further, he is the odds-on favorite to face President Biden in a 2024 rematch for the presidency.聽

Republicans are not sitting quietly by. This week, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said the House was prepared to proceed with an impeachment inquiry into President Biden, following allegations of corruption聽over his involvement聽in his son鈥檚 business dealings.聽

The colliding legal and political dramas have transfixed Washington.聽

鈥淚s it more important to look at criminal conduct by a sitting president or is it more important to look at criminal conduct by ... a son of a sitting president?鈥� Rep. Ken Buck, a Republican from Colorado and former federal prosecutor, said on CNN. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 going to be debated in public.鈥澛�

When asked what he thought, Representative Buck responded, 鈥淚t鈥檚 absolutely Congress鈥� role to look at possible impeachment, but I also think that if this is just a political game, then we need to make sure the criminal case goes forward.鈥澛�

Editor鈥檚 note: This story has been updated.