Hunter Biden publicly acknowledged the Afghanistan failure during a new interview, sharply criticizing his father’s handling of the U.S. troop withdrawal while also addressing immigration policy failures. The comments aired Monday on “The Shawn Ryan Show” and offered rare public candor from the former first son about the Biden administration’s record.
Discussing the chaotic 2021 withdrawal, Hunter Biden said his father “100% had some real failures,” adding, “I think one of the failures was the way in which they executed the withdrawal from Afghanistan. I think it was an obvious [expletive] failure.” He cited the deaths of U.S. service members, stating, “I think 13 Marines are dead. I think that there was a better way to do it.”
A 2022 Department of Defense report found the Taliban seized more than $7 billion in U.S. military equipment left behind after the withdrawal. Thirteen U.S. service members were also killed in an ISIS-K suicide bombing at Kabul’s Hamid Karzai International Airport during evacuation efforts.
Hunter Biden acknowledged presidential responsibility, noting his father understood “the buck stops with him.” While defending the decision to leave Afghanistan, he admitted the execution was flawed. Responding to host Shawn Ryan’s anger, he said, “I hear your anger about that,” while arguing prolonged military involvement no longer served U.S. interests.
The interview also touched on border policy. Hunter Biden criticized illegal immigration, saying the country needs immigration but not migrants “coming here illegally, draining us of resources.” He blamed stalled border legislation on President Trump, claiming Trump warned Republicans against supporting the bill ahead of the 2024 election.
