Hunter Biden's emergence on social media as a mental health advocate and political commentator has transformed him from a perceived liability into a galvanizing force within the Democratic Party, winning fans even among Republicans.
From Liability to Likable Figure
In recent weeks, the former first son has shifted from being the GOP's bete noire to someone many Republican voters appreciate. His self-deprecating posts, including a refusal to pose nude for Playboy and playful wordplay about a phallic misspelling of "election," are interspersed with serious messages about addiction recovery. His populist political commentary has even sparked calls for a 2028 presidential run.
Honest Responses Win Over Critics
Biden's genuine reactions to trolling have often turned critics into supporters. For instance, when an X user named Ashley, whose bio says she loves Jesus, wrote "I'd rather live under a rock than smoke it" in response to a post, Biden replied, "Me too. It was awful." Ashley responded, "Well damn, Hunter, that makes me sad. You live a better life than you were living. Good luck."
Biden's growing popularity on X, where he has over 780,000 followers, has caught the attention of Donald Trump. When asked about Biden's hypothetical 2028 primary chances, Trump said, "You would think that, you know, past has something to do with winning an election. And I would say his past is not the greatest." Biden quickly replied, "Wait...Did he just say checkered past? I'm 28 felonies, 6 bankruptcies, and an Epstein bromance short of his checkered past."
In 2024, Trump was convicted of 34 counts of falsifying business records, while Biden was convicted of three felony tax crimes and previously three felony charges related to an illegal gun purchase.
Trolling and Political Commentary
Biden has leaned into the idea of a 2028 run to troll conservatives. "Just saying... No Democrat has won the White House this century without a Biden on the ticket," he wrote in a post seen by nearly half a million people. When a user named Tyler said he was "very good" on the app, Biden replied, "It's so easy to bait them Tyler. It's hilarious. Ha!"
He also defended Graham Platner, who overcame personal controversies to win the Democratic Senate nomination in Maine. Biden told California Governor Gavin Newsom on a podcast that most Americans would fail a "show me your phone" test of past behavior, adding, "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."
Biden frequently posts about politics. In early June, he wrote, "Things most Americans agree on: Groceries cost too much. Tariffs suck and make no sense. Congress and Presidents shouldn't trade stocks. The debt is a mess. The border should be secure, but legal immigration is good. Endless wars are stupid, especially ones that nobody wants and have never been explained. Americans are exhausted. Things we're told to fight about: Me. Laptop. Vaccines. Transgenders in sports. Pronouns. That's the joke."
While his father failed to appeal to Republicans in the 2024 election, Biden has struck a chord. A user called @PeteJurg responded, "3 X Trump voter here, I think I love Hunter Biden." Biden replied, "I think I love Pete!"
Policy Solutions and Advocacy
When asked what he would fix first as president, Biden answered, "Rent. Not housing policy. Not the abstraction. Rent. The check that goes out the first of every month before the food, before the medicine, before the gas, before the kid's shoes." He proposed capping algorithmic price-fixing by landlord cartels, ending corporate purchase of single-family homes, taxing institutional ownership of residential property, and using revenue to build housing.
However, Biden's most impactful posts have been about addiction and recovery. A former crack cocaine addict sober for seven years, he has shared videos of his experience. One user wrote, "I believe @HunterBiden is leading an unknown number of folks here on X to recovery." Another said, "I'm a recovering addict, was hooked on alcohol, then crack, and then I graduated to opiates. You inspire me to stay clean."
In a video on supporting people in early recovery, Biden suggested Al-Anon resources and said, "The one thing I know that I don't believe is true is that you just have to let them hit rock bottom. The people that I know who hit bottom are either dead or in jail. And the one thing that I know helped save me is that my dad never stopped reaching out, never let go." He added, "Never give up on them, and just keep loving them."
