Former first son Hunter Biden had choice words for many of his father‘s controversial decisions, blasting the handling of the pullout from Afghanistan.
In a 5 1/2-hour podcast appearance on The Shawn Ryan Show, Biden spoke about a wide array of topics, many revolving around his father’s presidency. His comments on the handling of the Afghanistan withdrawal made headway, as he derided it as an “obvious f***ing failure.”
“I think that there was a better way to do it, and … I can blame it on his generals, I can blame it on [other] people [for] the way in which we did it, but — and my dad always knew this also, is that the buck stops with him,” he said.
Biden maintained that he believed withdrawing from Afghanistan was “the right thing to do,” but agreed when interviewer Shawn Ryan said, “I cannot f***ing stand the way the Afghan withdrawal happened.”
“I hear your anger about that,” the former first son responded. “And I don’t have any response to it other than the fact that I know that my dad came from a position that 20 years was enough, and it was not in the interest of anyone in the United States [to remain there].”
Ryan usually has right-wing or right-leaning guests on his podcast, including President Donald Trump during his 2024 presidential campaign, and boasts a relatively conservative audience. Despite this, Biden began the podcast by praising him, saying the two share the same values and that he routinely tunes in to his podcast.
“But I care about my family. I care about my friends,” Biden said. “I care about my community. I care about my country, and I care about my faith. And I’m, you know, maybe being presumptuous. I think that’s what you care about. I don’t care about some saccharin bulls***, but our prescription of how to make all those things better may be different. You know?”
A recurring theme in Biden’s comments was his desire to end polarization, appealing to populist sentiment, and portraying himself as a reasonable centrist. He even espoused some sentiments that would sit well with Trump supporters, voicing an opposition to illegal immigration.
“But we don’t want immigrants that are coming here illegally, draining us of resources, and being prioritized above people that are actual, literal heroes, that are still recovering from 21, 20 years of endless war — or anybody else in our society,” he said at one point, though he said the United States needs “vibrant immigration.”
He also preceded his anti-illegal immigration comments with heavy criticism of Trump’s immigration policy, describing it as fascist.
At one point, Biden even said he did not know whether he was a Democrat anymore.
“I don’t even know if I’m a Democrat anymore. I don’t know if I’m a part of any political … because it’s just, you know, pox on all your houses in my opinion,” he said. “But not that you shouldn’t engage in the political process. It’s imperative that we don’t give up on politics as a solution. We got to. Because what’s the alternative?”
The Washington Examiner reached out to the Democratic National Committee for comment on Biden’s appearance and comments.
The podcast appearance also marked the first time Biden acknowledged his disbarment.
“Well, technically, I’ve been disbarred. So I have to say that. It’s very technically, meaning I’ve been disbarred,” he said as an aside after Ryan asked him for advice on how to handle a lawsuit from Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-TX).
Ever since his father announced his presidential run in 2019, Biden has been the target of fierce public scrutiny due to his many controversial escapades, ranging from addiction-related criminal activity to possible corruption. He spoke about his discomfort being the subject of so much scrutiny.
“At one point, the New York Post was publishing, like, two and a half articles about me a day for, like, monthslong periods of time. And again, none of it was good,” he said.
HUNTER BIDEN DISBARRED IN CONNECTICUT AFTER ADMITTING TO ATTORNEY MISCONDUCT
“Anyway, my point being is this: there’s scrutiny, and then there’s just, like, complete and utter living in a glasshouse naked with the lights on 24/7. And that’s what it was like,” Biden added.
The podcast appearance was the latest in a small, unconventional media tour undertaken by the former first son in an effort to rehabilitate his image. His string of appearances has featured him sharing his unfiltered thoughts on his father and the state of politics, often angering a Democratic Party reeling from its loss in 2024 — a loss many in the party attribute, in part, to him.