Hunter Biden, the son of former Vice President Joe Biden, doesn’t think his divorce and business dealings will affect whether his father will decide to run for president in 2020, he told Vanity Fair in a statement.
Hunter Biden addressed his divorce and controversial business dealings while reflecting on his relationship with his father ahead of Joe Biden’s impending decision whether to announce a 2020 presidential bid. The magazine had asked Hunter Biden if he thought his personal life and business dealings may end up affecting whether the former senator from Delaware runs for the White House.
“So, you ask me, whether my father might not run for President because of reports about me in the news. What you fail to realize, in asking such a question, is that my father has always been proud of me—whether when I was volunteering for the Jesuits, or working as a lawyer,” Hunter Biden said in a statement to Vanity Fair.
“And he remains proud of me today. He loves me. And he loves the American people far too much to let any form of adversity stand in the way of service.”
Joe Biden is one of several Democrats weighing presidential runs in 2020 against President Donald Trump.
The Biden family has been rocked by tragedy and controversy in the last several years that Vanity Fair suggested could play a role in the forthcoming campaign, should the former VP decide to run.
After the 2015 death of Joe Biden’s other son, Beau Biden, reports surfaced that Hunter Biden was in a romantic relationship with Beau Biden’s widow. Hunter Biden confirmed the reports to The New York Post in March 2017.
“Hallie and I are incredibly lucky to have found the love and support we have for each other in such a difficult time, and that’s been obvious to the people who love us most. We’ve been so lucky to have family and friends who have supported us every step of the way,” he said at the time.
In the statement to Vanity Fair, Hunter Biden touched on his complicated personal life.
“The important aspect of my complicated divorce (like all divorces) and an equally complicated life, marked by the tragic loss of my mother, sister and brother is this: My father has been a constant source of love and strength in my life,” Hunter Biden told Vanity Fair.
“Even though my life has been played out in the media, because I am a Biden, my father never once suggested that the family’s public profile should be my priority. The priority has always been clear for my dad, as it is, now, for me: Never run from a struggle. Love people and find a way to love yourself. And remember that the two things are very much connected,” he continued.
