Hunter Biden gains followers with candid posts

Hunter Biden, the son of former U.S. President Joe Biden whose struggles with drug addiction and personal scandals long made headlines, is drawing growing attention on social media. Observers say his willingness to openly discuss his troubled past, poke fun at himself and deliver sharp criticism of both Democrats and Republicans has resonated with a wide audience.

Hunter, 56, had largely kept a low profile amid controversies involving drug addiction, overseas business dealings, tax offenses and illegal firearm possession. That changed on May 19, when he began posting regularly on social media.

"I'm Hunter Biden. Chances are you've never actually heard directly from me," he wrote in one of his first posts. Since then, he has adopted a strikingly candid tone, openly acknowledging past mistakes rather than trying to explain them away.

Discussing the discovery of a bag of cocaine at the White House in 2023 during Joe Biden's presidency, Hunter joked, "It definitely wasn't mine. I'm not the kind of person who loses his drugs," a remark that indirectly acknowledged his history of substance abuse. He has also offered encouragement to others struggling with addiction, writing, "The fight doesn't get easier. It gets quieter. In that quiet, you'll find out who you are."

On May 21, Hunter appeared on the podcast of conservative political commentator Candace Owens, a frequent critic. "I've heard you call me an addict many times," he said. "And the truth is, I was an addict."

The Washington Post reported that Hunter gained more than 500,000 followers in roughly three weeks. As of Tuesday, his account on X had surpassed 750,000 followers.

His blunt criticism of the Donald Trump administration's immigration policies has also attracted attention. Taking aim at White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, a leading advocate of the administration's hard-line immigration agenda, Hunter did not shy away from profanity, at one point calling him a "petty, ugly bastard."

He has also criticized the broader political establishment, arguing that elite figures connected to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein have helped deepen divisions between the American left and right. The New York Times said Hunter's countercultural appeal has even attracted some supporters of Trump.

During his father's presidency, Hunter was convicted on federal gun charges and faced prosecution for tax-related offenses. Allegations surrounding his business ties to a Ukrainian company also created political complications for Joe Biden as the administration sought to rally support for Ukraine in its defense against Russia's invasion.

The controversy surrounding Hunter intensified in December 2024, near the end of Joe Biden's term, when the president granted his son a sweeping pardon covering offenses committed over a 10-year period beginning in 2014. Biden argued the move was necessary to protect his son from what he viewed as politically motivated prosecutions under the incoming Trump administration, but the decision sparked fierce backlash.


김보라 기자 purple@donga.com