Hunter Biden Criticizes Clooney and Top Democrats Over 2024 Campaign Fallout
Hunter Biden is speaking out following the turbulent 2024 election that saw his father, Joe Biden, drop out of the race. In a series of new interviews, including one filled with strong language and pointed criticism, Hunter targeted actor George Clooney and longtime Democratic advisers. He claims they turned on his father and mishandled the campaign during its final days. With court battles looming, Hunter’s comments are reigniting debate inside the Democratic Party.
Hunter Biden Slams George Clooney Over Public Criticism
In a candid, three-hour interview with YouTube journalist Andrew Callaghan, Hunter Biden lashed out at actor and Democratic donor George Clooney. Clooney, who had once backed President Joe Biden’s reelection campaign, wrote a public op-ed in The New York Times in June 2024 urging the president to step aside following a poor debate performance.
Hunter didn’t hold back.
“What right do you have to step on a man who’s given 52 years of his f—ing life to the services of this country… to undermine the president?” he said.
Hunter expressed frustration that someone from Hollywood had so much influence on political outcomes. He accused Clooney of hurting party unity at a critical time, comparing Democratic divisions to Republican solidarity.
Clooney’s team did not respond to media requests for comment.
Frustration Toward Democratic Party Insiders
Hunter also went after high-profile Democratic strategists and advisers, blaming them for the party’s struggles.
He accused senior Biden aide Anita Dunn of profiting from her political work, claiming she earned “$40 to $50 million” through her involvement with the party. He dismissed political commentator James Carville as being out of touch, saying,
“He hasn’t run a race in 40 f—ing years.”
Hunter took aim at former Obama adviser David Axelrod as well, saying his only major success was Barack Obama’s campaign—crediting that win solely to Obama’s talent, not Axelrod’s strategy.
He didn’t spare the team behind the popular political podcast Pod Save America, calling them
“four white millionaires dining out on their association with Barack Obama from 16 years ago.”
One of the podcast hosts, Tommy Vietor, responded on social media, saying he respected Hunter’s effort “to process the election” but added that the Biden campaign’s approach was “insular” and “arrogant.”
Axelrod, reached by The Associated Press, simply said:
“Never have the words ‘no comment’ felt more appropriate.”
Biden’s Debate Performance and Possible Medication Effects
One major focus of Hunter’s frustration was how his father’s debate performance was received. The 2024 debate, which many called a turning point in the campaign, raised concerns about Joe Biden’s mental fitness.
Hunter claimed his father may have been dealing with the effects of Ambien, a sleep aid, after traveling to Europe and attending a major fundraiser in Los Angeles just before the debate.
“He’s 81 years old, he’s tired as s—,” Hunter said. “They give him Ambien… and he gets up on the stage and he looks like he’s a deer in the headlights.”
Joe Biden’s team has not commented on these claims. Clooney had said after the fundraiser that the president didn’t seem sharp enough for another term, which was part of why he spoke out.
A Second Interview With Jaime Harrison
In addition to his conversation with Callaghan, Hunter appeared on At Our Table, a podcast hosted by former Democratic National Committee Chair Jaime Harrison.
Hunter acknowledged that his father had aged during the campaign but defended his capabilities:
“Yeah, Joe Biden did get old. He got old before our eyes. But… a few changes does not mean that you do not have the mental capacity to do your job.”
He admitted the debate was “awful,” but questioned the decision to hold it at all, given Trump’s recent felony convictions in a New York hush money case.
When asked whether he agreed with his father’s decision to step down, Hunter said:
“I think that he could have won… but I know that it wasn’t a mistake in that moment. He chose to save the party.”
Why Speak Out Now?
Hunter Biden’s interviews come just before a new legal chapter begins. He’s involved in a lawsuit against Patrick Byrne, former CEO of Overstock.com, who allegedly spread false claims that Hunter had offered to help the Iranian government unlock billions in frozen funds in exchange for personal profit.
This legal fight follows a controversial end to Joe Biden’s presidency. In his final days in office, the elder Biden issued a full pardon for Hunter, covering both felony gun and tax cases. The decision went against earlier promises not to use presidential powers to help family members.
At the time, Joe Biden said he would not pardon or commute Hunter’s sentence. But the pardon came just weeks before sentencing in the gun case and shortly after Hunter pleaded guilty to tax charges. It also landed less than two months before Donald Trump returned to the White House.
Final Thoughts
Hunter Biden’s recent interviews have reopened wounds in the Democratic Party just months after a brutal election loss. His emotional defense of his father, combined with fierce attacks on party figures and celebrities, paints a picture of frustration and betrayal from someone close to the former president.
Whether these interviews help or hurt his case—both legal and political—remains to be seen. What’s clear is that the conversation around the 2024 election, and Joe Biden’s controversial exit, is far from over.
Source: AP News – Hunter Biden lashes out at George Clooney, other Democrats, over Joe Biden’s 2024 campaign