Hunter Biden Discusses Father Joe Biden’s Debilitating Cancer Diagnosis and Recent Controversies

In a recent extensive interview, Hunter Biden provided an update on his father’s health, describing the former U.S. President’s cancer diagnosis as “debilitating.” During the discussion, he also reflected on various controversial episodes from the Biden presidency.

Speaking with Paddy O’Connell on the BBC program Newsnight on Friday night, Hunter Biden noted that his father’s condition is increasingly difficult to witness.

“It’s really hard, Paddy, and it’s really sad to watch,” Hunter Biden stated.

“The only thing I have to say regarding my father’s health right now is that I wish he would complain more, because it is not good. The cancer has metastasized into his bones and beyond. It is very painful.”

In May 2025, the former president disclosed that during a physical examination, doctors discovered he was suffering from an aggressive form of prostate cancer that had already spread to his bones.

Reflections on the 2024 Debate Performance

The diagnosis followed the elder Biden’s withdrawal from the 2024 presidential race. While he had successfully secured the Democratic nomination through the primaries, growing concerns regarding his advanced age had become a central political issue.

A significant moment occurred on June 27, 2024, during the first presidential debate of the season between Biden and Republican candidate Donald Trump.

Despite being similar in age to Trump, Biden appeared visibly stiff on stage, exhibiting unsteady movement and moments of cognitive hesitation. At one point, while discussing the national debt, he struggled with his words, leading to confusion among viewers.

At that time, Biden was 81 years old. His wife, Jill Biden, later expressed her concern that his behavior resembled a stroke, noting that she had never seen him act that way before or since. However, Donald Trump leveraged these moments to challenge the legitimacy of Biden’s policy decisions.

Donald Trump ultimately won the 2024 election, securing a second term after previously losing to Biden in 2020.

Within the Democratic Party, debate continues over whether the party’s fortunes might have changed had Biden stepped away from the race sooner.

When asked by O’Connell if he watched the debated performance, Hunter Biden recalled watching it alone at his home in California.

“Like everybody else, I was shocked,” he said. “I could tell immediately that something was wrong. I’ve never seen him with that kind of ‘hundred-yard stare’ before.”

Aligning with Jill Biden’s perspective, Hunter characterized the incident as a unique anomaly: “The reason that was so shocking is because it had never happened before, and it hasn’t happened since.”

He also suggested that the cancer diagnosis the following year may have been a contributing factor to his performance during that debate.

“Nine months later, he was diagnosed with stage-four prostate cancer and stage-four metastatic bone cancer, none of which we knew at the time,” he explained.

The Controversy Surrounding Presidential Pardons

Hunter Biden has been a central figure in several controversies during his father’s administration.

Republicans have frequently accused him of using his father’s political influence to benefit his personal business interests.

Additionally, Hunter Biden faced legal challenges regarding substance abuse. In June 2024, he was convicted on three felonies involving illegal firearm possession while under the influence and making false statements on a firearm application regarding his addiction.

During that same year, Hunter Biden also pleaded guilty to federal tax evasion charges involving unpaid taxes totaling $1.4 million between 2016 and 2019.

Although Joe Biden had campaigned on a promise not to pardon his son, he reversed this stance during the final weeks of his presidency.

“From the day I took office, I said I would not interfere with the Justice Department’s decision-making, and I kept my word even as I have watched my son being selectively and unfairly prosecuted,” Biden wrote on December 1, 2024.

“In trying to break Hunter, they’ve tried to break me, and there’s no reason to believe it will stop here. Enough is enough.”

Believing his son was a target of political persecution, Joe Biden issued a “full and unconditional pardon” for actions taken up to 2014.

This was one of several unconventional pardons granted by Biden before his term ended. Other recipients included his brother James Biden, former medical adviser Anthony Fauci, and various Congress members involved in the January 6 investigation.

Biden indicated these pardons were intended to preempt potential political prosecutions by the incoming Trump administration.

Critics, particularly on the political right, have questioned the breadth of these pardons, suggesting they represent government corruption.

When O’Connell raised these allegations, Hunter Biden acknowledged the controversial nature of the decision.

“Was it good for our Constitution? Was it good for the American people? Was it good for my dad’s legacy? No, on all counts,” he admitted. “It is easily criticized and for good reason; I can’t pretend otherwise.”

However, Hunter added that his father’s concerns regarding Donald Trump’s motives were justified.

“I think that Donald Trump has proven to be exactly who my dad thought he would be regarding the revenge and retribution he would seek against political enemies,” he said.

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