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By Jordan King
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Hunter Biden has joked about being California Governor Gavin Newsom's vice presidential running mate in the 2028 election, furthering his recent reemergence in the political conversation after years largely out of the public eye.
During an episode of This Is Gavin Newsom, the Democratic governor introduced Biden as a "presidential candidate"—a tongue-in-cheek reference to recent remarks by President Donald Trump about Biden's prospects. "You've got the president of the United States, Donald Trump, talking about your candidacy for president of the United States," Newsom said.
Last week, a reporter in the Oval Office asked Trump whether he thought Biden could perform well in the presidential race, and the president replied, "You would think that the past has something to do with winning an election, and I would say his past is not the greatest."
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Biden later joked on Newsom's podcast: "Here's the deal. I'll run, but only as your VP because the truth of the matter is that the vice president's residence is a lot cooler. It's a lot easier job, too."
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Trump on a Hunter Biden 2028 Bid
During the Oval Office exchange on June 4, Trump referenced Graham Platner, a candidate for the U.S. Senate in Maine. Platner, who won the Democratic nomination on Tuesday, has faced multiple scandals during his campaign, including allegations about his behavior in past romantic relationships, which The New York Times published days before the primary.
"Hey, if the guy from Maine can do well, I guess Hunter could do well, too, because the guy from Maine is a basket case," Trump said.
"And I would say worse than him is the one from Texas that looks like Alfred E. Neuman," the president added, referencing Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico, whom conservatives have criticized for comments such as "God is nonbinary."
Biden responded to Trump's remarks on social media, mocking the idea that his "checkered past" could compare to Trump's own legal and personal controversies. Biden has recently become a prominent online voice, openly attacking Trump and the MAGA movement while engaging in meme-driven exchanges.
Hunter Biden Blasts Graham Platner Scandal: 'Show Me Your Phone'
In his appearance on Newsom's podcast, Biden weighed in on the controversy surrounding Platner, suggesting that few people could withstand the level of scrutiny that modern political campaigns and the media increasingly apply to candidates' private lives.
"Show me your phone," he said in a four-minute clip obtained by The Sacramento Bee. The full episode of the podcast is scheduled to be released on YouTube at 9 a.m. Pacific time.
Commenting on reports that Platner had exchanged sexually explicit messages with multiple women during his marriage, Biden said: "I think that his relationship with his wife is his relationship with his wife. The entirety of that controversy, it's all about leaked consensual stuff."
"I always say to people, show me your phone. Give me access to your iCloud. Let's go through it and pull everything that we can that is inappropriate, that is off-color, that selfie that you took when you're drunk off your ass," Biden said. "And if that's the standard by which we are going to judge people, particularly people in elected office, then I don't think we're going to have many people in elected office."
Hunter Biden's Comeback
During his father's presidency, Biden was considered a problem for the Democratic Party as his struggles with drug addiction and his legal troubles made him a fixture in Republican political attacks.
However, after years largely out of the spotlight, he has emerged as an unexpectedly influential voice on X, where his blunt humor, self-deprecating posts and willingness to engage directly with critics have helped him amass a large online following.
Biden's return has generated millions of views, with one user calling him the "MAGA whisperer" after conservative users praised his candor about addiction and recovery.
The 56-year-old has leaned into, rather than shied away from, the controversies that once made him a political liability. Earlier this month, he marked seven years of sobriety on X and has openly joked about his past drug use on the platform while also defending his family and sparing with political opponents.
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