Some have said that former Vice President Joe Biden is hesitating to declare his 2020 presidential bid because he has quite a few skeletons in his closet — but at least one family scandal is apparently not on the former VP’s mind.
In a letter to Vanity Fair, Biden’s son Hunter said that his father will not let the controversial affair that Hunter had with his deceased brother’s widow prevent him from running for office.
“He loves the American people far too much to let any form of adversity stand in the way of service,” Hunter wrote of his father, who represented Delaware in the Senate for decades before joining Barack Obama in the White House.
The Letter
Hunter Biden, 48, wrote the letter in response to a Vanity Fair article that suggested that the circumstances surrounding his affair and subsequent divorce could be the main reason his father doesn’t run in 2020. But, at least according to Hunter, the Biden family’s public profile is not on his shoulders.
“Even though my life has been played out in the media, because I am a Biden, my father never once suggested that the family’s public profile should be my priority,” the former VP’s son wrote. “The priority has always been clear for my dad, as it is, now, for me: Never run from a struggle. Love people and find a way to love yourself.”
Hunter Biden went on to directly respond to questions about whether the affair could keep his father from running.
“What you fail to realize, in asking such a question, is that my father has always been proud of me — whether when I was volunteering for the Jesuits, or working as a lawyer,” he stated. “And he remains proud of me today. He loves me. And he loves the American people far too much to let any form of adversity stand in the way of service.”
The Affair
The affair at issue allegedly took place in 2015, shortly after Biden’s eldest son, Beau — who was once the attorney general of Delaware — died of brain cancer. Following Beau’s death, Hunter’s wife Kathleen filed for divorce. Hunter and Kathleen Biden had been married for 23 years and had three children.
In court documents, Kathleen Biden claimed that her husband lived “extravagantly on his own interests (including drugs, alcohol, prostitutes, strip clubs and gifts for women with whom he has sexual relations) while leaving the family with no funds to pay legitimate bills.”
After the divorce made its way to the media, Hunter revealed that the alleged affair was with his brother Beau’s widow, Hallie.
“Hallie and I are incredibly lucky to have found the love and support we have for each other,” Hunter Biden said, adding that “family and friends…have supported us every step of the way.”
Among those to support him was his father, Hunter said. When news of the affair broke, the then-VP issued a statement saying in part: “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.”
Meanwhile, many have argued that Biden would be a poor choice for the Dems in 2020. His age (and his decades-old policies) make him unappealing to young Democrat voters, who have flocked behind younger candidates, especially including women and/or people of color.
The former VP has also had to front sexual misconduct allegations as recently as 2017, with some calling him “creepy at best” and others accusing him of inappropriately touching multiple women and children. Indeed, it seems Joe Biden has enough problems of his own to worry about — never mind the infidelities of his youngest son.
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