EXCLUSIVE: Jill Biden Claims Stepson Hunter Faced Harsher Treatment During Drugs Probe Due to His Father Joe's Refusal to Intervene
Hunter Biden may have ended up paying a steeper price.
June 5 2026, Published 7:00 p.m. ET
Hunter Biden may have ended up paying a steeper price because his father, Joe Biden, refused to use the power of the presidency to help him, according to former First Lady Jill Biden, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
In her new memoir, View From the East Wing, Jill reflected on Hunter's federal gun case and suggested her husband's determination to avoid any accusations of favoritism ultimately worked against their son.
Jill Biden's Questions Her Husband's Role in Hunter's Legal Issues
Hunter Biden’s legal troubles became entangled with concerns over public perception.
The former First Lady recounted the emotional aftermath of Hunter's conviction on federal gun charges, admitting she struggled to separate the legal proceedings from the political realities surrounding the case.
"It was hard for me not to think about the role politics played in the matter going to trial in the first place," Jill writes.
According to Jill, Hunter's legal troubles became entangled with concerns over public perception as his father's administration sought to demonstrate complete independence from the case.
'Hunter Would Meet the Worst Possible Legal Fate'
Jill Biden questioned whether her husband may have overcompensated in an effort to avoid criticism.
She pointed directly to Attorney General Merrick Garland and the Justice Department’s handling of the prosecution, arguing officials may have gone out of their way to prove Hunter was not receiving special treatment because of his famous last name.
"Attorney General Merrick Garland oversaw the Justice Department in its handling of Hunter’s case," she writes. "In the end, it felt like in working so hard to be impartial, we guaranteed that Hunter would meet the worst possible legal fate."
Jill went even further, questioning whether her husband may have overcompensated in an effort to avoid criticism.
"Joe might have gone too far, in my opinion, to show that his family was being treated with complete impartiality," the 75-year-old notes.
Hunter Biden's Guilty Verdict
Jill Biden said family members gathered in a private room near the courtroom where emotions quickly overwhelmed those present.
The former First Lady described the devastating moments surrounding the trial, including watching family members struggle as prosecutors presented evidence about Hunter's past addiction issues.
She recalled feeling heartbroken as her granddaughter Naomi Biden took the witness stand and was questioned about her father's drug use. Jill wrote that Naomi appeared rattled after prosecutors confronted her with text messages exchanged with Hunter during one of the darkest periods of his addiction battle.
After the guilty verdict was delivered, Jill said family members gathered in a private room near the courtroom where emotions quickly overwhelmed those present.
Many were crying, she recalled, while Hunter attempted to remain composed and even praised his legal team despite the outcome.
Jill Biden Praises Hunter For Rebuilding His Life
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Hunter Biden later broke down while discussing what he viewed as the prosecution’s treatment of his daughter during the trial.
Jill also revealed that Hunter later broke down while discussing what he viewed as the prosecution’s treatment of Naomi during the trial. She maintained that politics hovered over the proceedings from beginning to end, writing that she believed someone wanted to make an example out of her son.
Despite her criticism of the case, Jill praised Hunter for rebuilding his life following years of addiction, noting that he had achieved sobriety, repaired relationships with family members, remarried, and welcomed another child.
Still, she made clear the trial remains one of the most painful chapters of her family’s time in the White House.
