Hunter Biden is stepping back into the political spotlight, this time with a joke about joining California Gov. Gavin Newsom on a hypothetical 2028 presidential ticket.
According to Newsweek, Biden appeared on Newsom’s podcast, “This Is Gavin Newsom,” where the Democratic governor playfully introduced him as a “presidential candidate.” The comment referenced recent remarks from President Donald Trump about Biden’s political prospects.
“You’ve got the president of the United States, Donald Trump, talking about your candidacy for president of the United States,” Newsom said.
The exchange followed comments Trump made in the Oval Office last week when asked whether Biden could perform well in a presidential race.
“You would think that the past has something to do with winning an election, and I would say his past is not the greatest,” Trump said.
During the same conversation, Trump referenced Maine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner, who recently won his party’s nomination despite facing controversy during the campaign.
“Hey, if the guy from Maine can do well, I guess Hunter could do well, too, because the guy from Maine is a basket case,” Trump said.
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Biden later responded online, mocking the suggestion that his personal history was uniquely disqualifying compared to Trump’s own controversies.
The discussion continued during Biden’s appearance on Newsom’s podcast, where he weighed in on the scrutiny facing political candidates.
Commenting on reports involving Platner’s personal life, Biden argued that private relationships should not automatically become political issues.
“I think that his relationship with his wife is his relationship with his wife,” Biden said. “The entirety of that controversy, it’s all about leaked consensual stuff.”
Biden also suggested that many public figures would struggle if every aspect of their personal lives were examined.
“Show me your phone,” he said.
“Give me access to your iCloud. Let’s go through it and pull everything that we can that is inappropriate, that is off-color, that selfie that you took when you’re drunk off your ass,” Biden continued.
“And if that’s the standard by which we are going to judge people, particularly people in elected office, then I don’t think we’re going to have many people in elected office.”
The appearance comes as Biden has become increasingly active online after spending years largely outside the public eye.
During President Joe Biden’s administration, Hunter Biden frequently drew criticism from Republicans over his legal troubles and past struggles with addiction.
More recently, he has built a sizable audience on X, where he often posts about politics, engages with critics, and discusses his recovery journey.
Earlier this month, Biden marked seven years of sobriety and has openly reflected on his past while continuing to comment on current political debates.
