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When Hunter Biden spoke about his work to stay sober in a rare interview this week, it marked a new phase of Hunter’s private life affecting his father’s public image.
Four years after a presidential campaign in which he kept out of the spotlight—as his substance abuse battles and business dealings were mocked or scrutinized by Republicans—Joe Biden’s only surviving son is now preparing to be more vocal and aggressive in shaping his own narrative and responding to GOP attacks, according to several sources close to the Biden campaign.
But these sources were clear that this shift was not a deliberate White House or campaign-driven strategy. In fact, Biden’s own staff were not told in advance about Hunter’s interview with Axios, according to a source close to the president.