Hunter Biden, 56, marked seven years of sobriety as of June 2026 and has relaunched his X account (formerly Twitter), where he engages critics and trolls with self-deprecating humor and blunt responses [1, 2]. In early June, he began responding to accusations and altered images targeting him with sarcasm and sharp wit.

In May 2026, Biden participated in a nearly two-hour interview with conservative podcaster Candace Owens, kicking off his effort to address critics directly [1]. He has also publicly denied a widely reported 2023 claim that he left a bag of cocaine at the White House, stating on X, "It most definitely was not. I would never have forgotten my drugs," a post that gained 18 million views [1, 2].

Biden has fake photoshopped images depicting him with drug paraphernalia. He joked about the mistrust of AI, tweeting, "I know this may sound petty, but I can't stand it when people... photoshop a meth pipe in my mouth. A crack pipe doesn't have that little bowl at the end. This is why we can't trust AI. Please make the appropriate edit. Thank you for your attention to this matter" [2]. He has mocked some of his critics with sharp remarks such as, "I've never stolen an erection in my life" and distinguishing his past crack use from cocaine snorting, saying, "Why does everyone keep saying this? I smoked crack. I would never have wasted cocaine by putting it up my nose" [2].

Republicans have repeatedly used Hunter Biden's past addiction struggles as a political weapon against President Joe Biden, who granted his son an unconditional pardon in December 2024 [2]. Hunter Biden publicly defended his father against corruption accusations, stating Joe Biden was never involved in elite corruption or turning public office into personal business [1].

Hunter Biden also criticized CNN's Jake Tapper for what he saw as biased coverage of Jill Biden’s memoir compared to the Trump family [1].

Hunter Biden’s continued engagement on social media and public statements illustrate his ongoing efforts to control his narrative and address controversies head on.