Hunter Biden cites ‘total exposure’ as reason for speaking out

Hunter Biden, the 56-year-old son of former President Joe Biden, has emerged in recent days across an unusual range of political media: a conversation with Tucker Carlson that aired Monday, a two-hour conversation with Nick Fuentes, and an interview with the BBC in which he discussed his father’s cancer.

The Wall Street Journal, which reported the string of appearances, described Biden as suddenly “the one with the megaphone,” saying he is tweeting, appearing on podcasts and talking about America and, often, Trump. The Journal noted that Biden is going places few Democrats will go — and few Republicans will go — before audiences that in the past may have viewed him negatively. For much of the Biden presidency, Biden’s life, drug use, gun ownership, personal behavior and personal photographs were put on full display, and he kept a mostly lower profile, starting an account on X in May.

On Monday, Carlson aired the lengthy conversation. The two men discussed social media, war and President Trump, and Biden said of Trump: “I think he’s one of the most transformational individuals in our political history, all for ill.” Carlson and Biden said they have known each other for more than 30 years.

Carlson pressed Biden on why he was speaking out in this way. Biden said his life had become so exposed by critics and others that he felt he had nowhere else to go. “In that total exposure, there was nowhere to hide,” he said. “The only way out was through—owning the things that were true and speaking truth to the things that were false.”

The Carlson program aired shortly after Biden sat down with Fuentes for a two-hour conversation about a range of subjects, including Fuentes’s past comments on Jews and Biden’s past use of cocaine. They also talked about Trump.

On Friday, Biden told the BBC that his father’s cancer was very serious, having spread to his bones and “further.” The disclosure came as the Biden family re-enters the public eye through books: Jill Biden’s was published earlier this year, and Joe Biden’s is scheduled to publish in November.

The Journal wrote that the account represents “Hunter’s version of his motivation” and reported that many people are dubious, questioning his motives. It also noted that if Biden is going to be a main voice in American politics in 2026 and beyond, that might be a development Trump is more than happy to welcome.