Hunter Biden told The Shawn Ryan Show that the ultra-wealthy "always" seem to avoid consequences and disproportionately benefit from political division. He said ordinary Americans — veterans, classmates and regular workers — do not gain from the current political landscape and criticized social media algorithms for spreading falsehoods. The comments follow a presidential pardon granted to Hunter Biden covering alleged offenses from Jan. 1, 2014, to Dec. 1, 2024, and come amid prior federal investigations that included firearm convictions and tax-related charges.
Hunter Biden: ‘The .1% Always Find a Way’ — Says Wealthy Evade Consequences, Blames Algorithms
Hunter Biden appeared for a lengthy interview on "The Shawn Ryan Show" on Monday.
Hunter Biden, the son of President Joe Biden, criticized the nation’s wealthiest citizens for consistently escaping accountability during a rare, wide-ranging interview published Monday.
Hunter Biden was pardoned by his father, former President Joe Biden, before he left office.
Speaking on The Shawn Ryan Show, Biden argued that political division ultimately benefits an exclusive wealthy few who "always" seem to avoid the consequences of their actions. He contrasted those winners with ordinary Americans — veterans, former classmates and everyday workers — who do not gain from the partisan landscape.
Hunter Biden had been under federal investigation for years prior to being pardoned by his father.
"You know, who's benefiting right now? Whether the Democrats are in control of Congress or whether the Republicans are, who ultimately seems to be benefiting? ... The people that seem to have always some way [to] avoid the consequences and win — that's, you know, the .1%."
Biden qualified his remarks by saying he did not believe "all billionaires are evil," but added that social media platforms and their algorithms also escape meaningful accountability and distort public perception. "What we do is allow ourselves to be driven by our algorithms to believe things that just are not even remotely true," he said, arguing that the result is fewer people being held responsible for wrongdoing.
The interview comes after President Joe Biden issued a pardon for his son in the final months of his presidency. The pardon covered offenses Hunter Biden "has committed or may have committed" between Jan. 1, 2014, and Dec. 1, 2024. Hunter Biden has been under federal investigation since 2018; he was convicted on three felony firearm counts and faced federal tax charges alleging at least $1.4 million in unpaid taxes, a tax charge he later pleaded guilty to ahead of trial.
His remarks have renewed debate about accountability for the wealthy and influential, the role of social media algorithms in shaping beliefs, and the politics surrounding presidential pardons.
