Hunter Biden, the often-embattled son of former US president Joe Biden, has often been in the headlines. His reported struggles with addiction, legal battles, and contested business dealings appear to have deeply affected his father’s presidency, creating political landmines and emotional dilemmas.
From emotional interviews to federal courtrooms and a father’s pardon, Hunter’s impact on Joe Biden’s time in office has been complicated, yet profound.
A Life in the Spotlight, and the Shadows
Hunter Biden’s life has been marked by both privilege and tragedy. Born in 1970, he survived the car crash that killed his mother and sister when he was just two-year-old. The moment, analysts say, defined much of his family’s story, and in turn, Joe Biden’s political narrative. But as Hunter grew up, personal struggles followed.
US media reports suggest Hunter battled addiction for years, with his ex-wife Kathleen Buhle once accusing him of spending lavishly on “drugs, alcohol, prostitutes and strip clubs,” while neglecting family obligations, according to a BBC report published in June 2024.
In his 2021 memoir ‘Beautiful Things’, Hunter admitted to substance abuse, reportedly saying at the time, “You don’t get rid of it. You figure out how to deal with it.”
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Legal Woes and Presidential Fallout
Hunter made history in June 2024 as the first child of a sitting US president to be convicted of a federal crime. Prosecutors handling his case had found him guilty of lying about his drug use when purchasing a firearm in 2018. Later that year, he pleaded guilty to nine tax-related charges.
While many legal experts viewed the charges as valid, the cases were politically explosive. In July 2025, Joe Biden issued a full presidential pardon for his son — covering all potential offenses since 2014 – in a move that drew sharp criticism from both the campaigns.
Columnist Isaac Chotiner, writing for The New Yorker in December last year, said Biden’s decision forced Americans to question if he was “acting in the national interest or in response to private whims.”
The Ambien Debate Controversy
In a recent interview with YouTube journalist Andrew Callaghan, Hunter suggested that Ambien contributed to his father’s seemingly off 2024 debate performance against Donald Trump.
“He flew around the world… He is 81 years old. He is tired as sh**. They give him Ambien to be able to sleep. He gets up on the stage, and he looks like a deer in the headlights,” Hunter said, per an ABC News report published Monday.
The debate marked a turning point as Joe Biden’s visibly shaky performance led to panic within the party, and eventually saw his withdrawal from the 2024 US Presidential race. While some had cited jet lag or illness as the cause, Hunter’s latest revelation, experts say, adds another layer to the story, sparking fresh concerns about the then president’s inner circle and their decision-making.
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Family Ties and Political Risks
Hunter’s foreign business ties, especially in China and Ukraine, have been a largely contentious issue. His board position at Burisma, a Ukrainian energy company, overlapped with Joe Biden’s diplomatic work in the region, sparking Republican-led impeachment efforts and conspiracy theories, many of which remain unproven, the BBC reported.
A now-infamous abandoned laptop revealed intricate details of Hunter’s lifestyle and business emails, which many say points toward potential corruption. Despite no direct evidence linking Joe Biden to any wrongdoing, a string of investigations appeared to blur the lines between the former president’s personal and political life.
Pardons, Loyalty and Legacy
Reports suggest Joe Biden had long insisted that he wouldn’t pardon his son. But in July 2025, he did exactly that, all while covering both Hunter’s gun and tax charges. “I hope Americans will understand why a father and a President would come to this decision,” he wrote at the time, as reported by The New Yorker.
Yet many Americans argued that the act resembled the kind of insider dealing Biden had long opposed. “It is a fitting coda to a tragic presidency,” Chotiner wrote, adding that Biden “paved Trump’s path back to Washington” by putting family ahead of national duty.
Hunter Biden’s personal as well as professional dealings not only appear to have provided fodder for tabloids, they have seemingly contributed significantly toward defining his father’s legacy as the 46th US president.
(With inputs from The New Yorker, The Hill and the BBC)
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