He has a famous surname, but Robert Hunter Biden would rather not dwell on it. President Joe Biden’s only surviving son is a trained lawyer. But there is something he would prefer not wearing; the tag of the accidental crown prince, the son of the President of America. He has been honest but expedient at times in his memoir ‘Beautiful Things,’ set for release on April 6 where he has recounted his running battle with substance abuse and the constant unwanted intrusion into his personal life. It has been a constant struggle with his inner demons; and some outer ones.
There will always be an unfavorable comparison to other prodigal children and siblings of past Presidents, who were a constant source of embarrassment. But he is thankful that his father always had his back, no matter what.
But the constant glare of the media is something that he had to endure all his life. He is forceful in his assertion that he had constantly endeavored to keep away from tagging along with his famous father. He maintains that he rose, and stumbled, all on his own.
Hunter Biden is the president’s younger son from his first marriage. He is a Yale-trained lawyer and a lobbyist but has had drug-related problems for a long time. His professional dealings have also been a source of embarrassment to his father, something his opponents used to the hilt.
He lost his mother and sister in a car crash back in 1972, when he was just a toddler. His father had taken his oath as a newly elected senator from the hospital room.
A Professional Decision That Had International And Domestic Implications
Hunter Biden maintains that his connections with Burisma Holdings, the oil and natural gas major held by the Ukrainian oligarch Mykola Zlochevsky was purely professional, though he had then miscalculated the political fallout. He has skipped through that part in his book. His shady connection may have led to the heart of former President Trump’s first impeachment for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. But it also embarrassed Obama’s administration at a time when his father was leading efforts as vice president to rein in the endemic corruption in Ukraine. It was only after Joe Biden announced his presidential aspirations in 2020 that he stepped down.
He is defensive when he states that he has been his own man, and has always strived to step out of his illustrious father’s shadow. The administration had to issue statements defending his decision. The then spokesman of President Obama maintained that as a private citizen, Hunter Biden was free to decide and his decisions did not reflect the administration’s stand on that issue.
Hunter Biden has also maintained that the relation between the senior Biden and President Obama’s inner circle was not smooth. He is particular in pointing out David Axelrod; one of Obama’s counselors who were opposed to Biden’s bid in 2020.
He also mentions the tension that existed between Hillary Clinton and her father leading to the 2016 elections. He maintains that his father was terrified of the Clintons. He mentions that the senior Biden believed that they could try to destroy his career.
A Constant Battle With His Inner Demons
Hunter Biden’s book shows glimpses of his understanding of the power politics that played out in the upper echelons of power. But he remains silent on his predicament throughout the book. His understanding of the situation does not hide his silence in many situations that involve him.
He had contemplated running for office despite his battles with addiction, and the problems in his personal life. His first wife was incredulous when he first brought up the subject at his brother, Beau’s funeral in 2015. It seems puzzling that Hunter Biden even mulled the idea in the first place.
He now acknowledges that he was blind to the fact that his troubled past still sat heavily on her. But then he had an affair with the wife of his late brother. He asserts that it was a love that came from shared grief at his brother’s untimely death. He seeks a discharge from his past all too easily.
He termed his shadowy experience in Ukraine as cathartic in an interview with the New Yorker and asserts that what you see is what you get when it comes to Hunter Biden. He is still defensive about his decision on Ukraine. He says his only mistake in that matter was that he underestimated the reaction it would elicit.
Hunter Biden Remains Steadfast In Support Of His Father
He constantly projects his father as doting and caring. It is the story of the prodigal son all over again. He says that they are in touch every day.
He delves into Joe Biden’s efforts to intervene/ in his issues and how he had stonewalled all such efforts. He strives to maintain the closeness of his family.
The president that people get to see on stage is the real him, asserts Hunter Biden. He has been forged through his setbacks and that propelled him to the top seat.
But then the assertion that he has a low tolerance for drug use falls flat beside his constant tolerance of his son’s excesses. He had been pushed out of the navy after he failed a drug test. He was in rehab but then it was not long before he was back to his addiction.
Hunter Biden has written well and Beautiful Things sets a brisk pace. We are aware of its ending. Hunter has finally found bliss and happiness after his second marriage. And besides his father is now the President of the United States.
Hunter Biden Is Bitter About The Constant Personal Attack By Trump
But what seeps through is his bitterness at being at the receiving end during the Trump campaign. The constant vilification has sunk in deep. He asserts that ex-President, Donald Trump is a vile man on an equally vile mission. He remains bitter that Trump had stooped low to hold on to his presidency. The storming of the United States Capitol on January 6 by a mob of Trump supporters is a vindication of his claim.
The NIC has maintained that Russian intelligence was behind Trump in attempting to discredit Biden leading to the presidential election.
There had been more. Matt Gaetz, Florida Congressman had been scathing in his attack on Hunter Biden for his addiction, while glossing over his record of drunk driving.
Hunter Biden returns the favor in his book. He refers to Gaetz as a ‘troll’. And Gaetz has conceded that he is under investigation by the justice department for sexual misconduct, including one instance where a minor was involved.
Hunter Biden has put down his lifelong personal battles with his inner demons in the publication by Simon & Schuster. The title of the book Beautiful Things is a phrase that he shared with his late brother to refer to all that had been good in their life, and there hadn’t been many. It was also the last words that Beau, his brother ever uttered.
