In a remarkably candid and wide-ranging interview, Hunter Biden has publicly criticised key aspects of his father's presidency, taking aim at immigration policy and the withdrawal from Afghanistan while revealing deep personal debt.
Stance on Immigration and Border Policy
The 55-year-old son of former President Joe Biden spoke to host Shawn Ryan in a five-hour conversation, where he explicitly stated his opposition to open borders and illegal migration. This position appears to directly contradict much of the pro-migrant rhetoric associated with the Democratic left during his father's time in office.
"We need a vibrant immigration, but we don't want immigrants that are coming here illegally draining us of resources," Hunter Biden stated. He suggested America is "addicted to the problem" of immigration rather than being genuinely committed to solving it.
He did offer a partial defence of his father, noting Joe Biden sought bipartisan legislation on the issue, contrasting it with Donald Trump's approach of using executive orders. Hunter claimed a deal with Congressional Republicans was scuppered when Trump "stepped in six months before the election and told them that he was going to primary every single one of them that voted for that."
This marks a significant shift from his previous, expletive-laden defence of immigrants in a July interview with YouTuber Andrew Callaghan, where he argued immigrants perform essential jobs and questioned criminal stereotypes.
Scathing Assessment of Afghanistan Withdrawal
Hunter Biden did not hold back in his assessment of the US military's departure from Afghanistan in 2021, describing it as "an obvious fucking failure."
While he initially pointed to "the way they executed" the withdrawal—a chaotic operation that resulted in the deaths of 13 US Marines—he ultimately placed responsibility on his father. "I think there was a better way to do it. I can blame it on his generals, the people, the way we did it. But my dad always knew the buck stops with him. That was a failure," he conceded.
A government watchdog report later found that billions of dollars worth of American military equipment was abandoned in Afghanistan following the troop pullout.
Financial Woes and Media Feuds
In a startling admission, Hunter Biden confirmed earlier reports that he is facing severe financial difficulties, with debts totalling an estimated $14 to $15 million. "I have no idea that I'm going to be able to pay off," he told Ryan.
He dismissed any notion of a familial financial rescue, stating his father entered the presidency as "the poorest man to ever take the office" and that there is "no billions of dollars buried underneath my dad's house in Delaware." He also indicated that loans from his so-called 'sugar brother', Hollywood lawyer Kevin Morris, have dried up.
The interview was also punctuated by fiery criticism of prominent media figures. Hunter launched a profanity-laced attack on CNN anchor Jake Tapper, calling him a "pompous, arrogant fuck" and criticising a book Tapper co-wrote about President Biden's health. He also reiterated his fury at actor George Clooney for a New York Times op-ed that urged Joe Biden to quit the 2024 presidential race, an appeal the president ultimately heeded 11 days later.
Hunter Biden's increasing number of public interviews follows his father's departure from office and a controversial broad presidential pardon issued in the final weeks of the administration, covering any crimes he may have committed between January 2014 and December 2024. Critics alleged this was an attempt to obscure his past dealings with Ukrainian energy company Burisma.
