Hunter Biden rules out presidential bid, jokes ‘check and see if I relapsed’ if he runs

WASHINGTON, DC: Former President Joe Biden’s son, Hunter Biden, on Friday, August 21, said that he has not considered running for president, joking that people should question his sobriety if he ever announces a White House campaign.

During his appearance on 'Real Time with Bill Maher', the 56-year-old was asked directly about a potential presidential bid as speculation around the 2028 race begins to take shape. Moreover, his comments come after his mother, former first lady Jill Biden, separately said she would support him if he ever decided to pursue the presidency.

Hunter Biden dismisses presidential ambitions

Host Bill Maher raised the possibility of a presidential campaign while referencing Hunter Biden’s highly publicized history of addiction and recovery. “I know everything about the laptop, more things than I want to know. My question: 'Are you running for president?'" the comedian asked.

Hunter replied with a stern no, stating, “No, I haven't. Here's my thing, if I announce for president, then somebody should check and see if I relapsed.” Maher then pointed out that Hunter had been sober for seven years, which the former first son confirmed, saying he has been sober since June 1, 2019.

Hunter also said he chose to speak publicly about addiction because the intense media scrutiny he faced over the years gave him a platform to reach others struggling with substance use.

“My own reason for being out there as much as I am, at least from my perspective, (the media) built this platform to beat the hell out of me for about a seven-year period of time. And when the crowd went home, the platform was still there,” he said. 

“There’s 50 million Americans that are still sick and suffering every day from addiction and I get to speak to them,” Hunter said. “Even if it’s one person that sends me a message any day, that says, ‘I saw your message, and I didn’t drink today,’ then I’ve done something that I think is incredibly worthy.”

Jill Biden says she would support Hunter running for president

Jill has taken a more open-ended position on her son’s political future, saying she would support him if he ultimately decided to seek the presidency.

In the first episode of her two-part conversation with 'The Jamie Kern Lima Show', the former first lady was asked what she would tell Hunter if he expressed an interest in running for president. “You know, I do have a funny answer for that,” Jill said. “I would say, 'Run.' But then you take that how you want to.”

She later emphasized that Hunter would have to make the decision himself. “Hunter's gotta find his own path, and whatever he decides to do … I feel this is true his whole life, I feel it from all our kids, whatever they decide to do, our grandkids, our kids, we'll support them,” she said.