Even if you've only casually watched cable news over the past two years, you've heard
the name Hunter Biden.
So what shaped Joe Biden's son into the man he is today?
From a horrific tragedy at an early age to living with addictions, let's discuss the
tragic details about Hunter Biden.
On December 18, 1972, a three-year-old Hunter Biden "suffered a severe head injury" when
his mother's station wagon was hit by a tractor-trailer at an intersection.
Hunter's mother and younger sister were killed instantly.
Beau Biden, who was also present in the vehicle, sustained several broken bones and leg injuries.
During an interview with The New Yorker, Hunter claims his only memory of the accident was
waking up in the hospital to his brother Beau holding his hand.
On January 5, 1973, a 30-year-old Joe Biden was sworn in as a senator in his sons' hospital
room at Delaware Division Wilmington Medical Center.
Over the course of his career, Biden repeatedly made the claim that the driver of the tractor-trailer,
Curtis C. Dunn, was drunk.
However, according to Politico, Dunn "wasn't charged with anything" and "coverage in the
newspapers at the time made it clear that fault was not in question."
During his time as a senator, Joe Biden earned the nickname "the senator from MBNA," due
to the Delaware-based credit card company that contributed significantly to the campaign
and Biden's subsequent push to strip bankruptcy protections from Americans with credit card
debt.
According to The New York Times, Hunter Biden worked at MBNA for five years and was a consultant
for another five while his father was supporting the bankruptcy bill that would help MBNA.
Even while MBNA was donating to Biden, they named Hunter as their senior vice president
in 1998.
Due to Biden and Hunter's financial ties to the company, Barack Obama's campaign called
this conflict of interest, quote, "one of the most sensitive issues" they looked at
when they were screening Biden as a candidate to be Obama's running mate.
On May 7, 2013, Hunter Biden joined the United States Naval Reserve at the age of 43.
"We have a lot of bad judgement in my family.
My son, who's over 40, just joined the United States Navy."
He was sworn in by his father during a private ceremony at the White House and was assigned
to a public-affairs unit.
However, not even a month later, Hunter tested positive for cocaine in the first drug test
administered after he reported to his unit in Norfolk, Virginia.
In a statement, Hunter said:
"It was the honor of my life to serve in the U.S. Navy, and I deeply regret and am embarrassed
that my actions led to my administrative discharge.
I respect the Navy's decision.
With the love and support of my family, I'm moving forward."
Hunter claimed to The New Yorker that he bummed a cigarette that made him feel, quote, "amped
up" from two men outside a bar the night before his first weekend of duty.
He was given a urine test the next day, which came back positive for cocaine.
On May 30, 2015, Hunter Biden's older brother, Joseph "Beau" R. Biden III, died after a two
year battle with brain cancer.
Joe Biden said in a statement:
"In the words of the Biden family: Beau Biden was, quite simply, the finest man any of us
have ever known."
The Iraq War veteran and former Delaware Attorney General's funeral was held in Wilmington,
Delaware.
One of the most heartbreaking moments of the service was Hunter's eulogy for his beloved
brother.
Once again telling the story about the car accident, Hunter explained his brother's love
on the fateful day in the hospital.
"The first memory I have is of lying in a hospital bed next to my brother.
I was almost three years old, I remember my brother who was one year and one day older
than me, holding my hand, staring into my eyes, saying, 'I love you, I love you, I love
you,' over and over and over again.
And in the 42 years since, he never stopped holding my hand."
Barely a year after his brother's death, Hunter Biden and his first wife, Kathleen, split
after 22 years of marriage.
Kathleen filed for divorce the following year citing Hunter's lavish spending and drug addiction.
In court filings obtained by Page Six, Kathleen claimed:
"His spending rarely relates to legitimate family expenses, but focuses on his own travel
(at times multiple hotel rooms on the same night), gifts for other women, alcohol, strip
clubs, or other personal indulgences."
Their divorce was finalized in 2017, with the judge presiding over the case ruling,
quote, "there is no reasonable prospect of reconciliation of the parties."
After Hunter Biden split from his wife, he entered into an affair with his brother's
widow, Hallie Biden.
Hunter told Page Six at the time:
"Hallie and I are incredibly lucky to have found the love and support we have for each
other in such a difficult time, and that's been obvious to the people who love us most.
We've been so lucky to have family and friends who have supported us every step of the way."
Joe Biden and his wife Jill echoed that statement, saying:
"We are all lucky that Hunter and Hallie found each other as they were putting their lives
together again after such sadness.
They have mine and Jill’s full and complete support and we are happy for them."
However, the couple split several months later due to constant media attention.
Hunter said:
"All we got was s--- from everybody, all the time.
It was really hard.
And I realized that I'm not helping anybody by sticking around."
In August 2018, Lunden Alexis Roberts gave birth to a child and claimed that Hunter Biden
was the father.
Roberts was an exotic dancer who reportedly performed under the name "Dallas" at The Mpire
Club in Washington, D.C.
According to the Arkansas Democrat Gazette, a DNA test revealed he was the father "with
scientific certainty"
A year later, with Roberts now relocated to Arkansas, Hunter was ordered to appear in
court to determine whether or not he should be held in contempt for refusing to "disclose
financial information" to Roberts as part of her paternity suit.
Specifically, Roberts and her attorneys demanded to know how much he made while serving on
the board of the Ukrainian gas company, Burisma.
Roberts' attorney, Clint Lancaster wrote in a motion:
"The defendant continues to act as though he has no respect for this Court, its orders,
the legal process in this state, or the needs of his child for support.
This court should sanction the defendant as it deems appropriate and just."
In 2020, Hunter agreed to pay child support retroactive to the child's birth.
It's no secret that Hunter Biden is a consistent target of Donald Trump's attacks.
During the first presidential debate, Trump brought up Hunter again to a national audience.
"Hunter got thrown out of the military.
He was thrown out, dishonorably discharged, for cocaine use."
Never mind the fact that Hunter wasn't dishonorably discharged, many thought Trump bringing Hunter's
drug use crossed the line.
However, Joe Biden responded with compassion for Hunter.
"...had a drug problem.
He's overtaken it, he's fixed it, he's worked on it, and I'm proud of him.
I'm proud of my son."
At a rally in Arizona the following month, Trump doubled down on his attacks on Hunter.
"Can you imagine if Don Jr. had the problems of 'where's Hunter'?
Don Jr.
Oh my poor boy."
On October 14, 2020, the New York Post dropped a bombshell allegation: a laptop that Hunter
Biden allegedly dropped off at a Delaware computer repair shop in 2019 contained emails
where Hunter introduced Joe Biden to a Ukrainian businessman and attempted to peddle his father's
influence for financial gain.
The Daily Beast identified the computer repair shop owner, who claimed he made a copy of
the hard drive and contacted Trump's lawyer Rudy Giuliani before turning it over to the
FBI.
At least one person included in the email chains verified their authenticity, and 2017
materials provided by a former business associate of Hunter show that Hunter and his uncle were,
quote, "involved in negotiations about a joint venture with a Chinese energy and finance
company called CEFC China Energy," although there is no evidence that Joe Biden had any
involvement with these plans and meetings.
Hunter Biden's struggles with addiction have unfortunately become tabloid fodder.
But during a 2019 interview with The New Yorker, Hunter told his own story, saying:
"Look, everybody faces pain.
Everybody has trauma.
There's addiction in every family.
I was in that darkness.
I was in that tunnel-it's a never-ending tunnel.
You don't get rid of it.
You figure out how to deal with it."
Hunter went on to reveal that he started drinking as a teenager and moving on to cocaine and
crack while attending Georgetown University.
In 2001, Hunter says he and his family moved back to Delaware to be closer to his father
and he commuted back and forth from Washington to Delaware by Amtrak.
However, he would often find himself at the Army and Navy Club.
He said:
"When I found myself making the decision to have another drink or get on a train, I knew
I had a problem."
If you or anyone you know is struggling with substance abuse, you can contact SAMHSA's
free, confidential helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).