Bill Maher puts Hunter Biden in the hot seat on Real Time
Bill Maher puts Hunter Biden in the hot seat on HBO’s “Real Time,” opening Friday’s chat by joking about Biden’s infamous laptop, saying he has seen him nude and with a crack pipe, and asking if he is running for president. Biden joked he was announcing, then said he has not thought of running.
The appearance is the latest stop in Biden’s wide-ranging media push, detailed in Variety’s report on the Friday night interview. For more streaming and late-night coverage, see our Streaming & TV Alerts hub.
Key Takeaways
- Maher opened by referencing Biden’s laptop, nude images, and crack use, then asked if Biden is running for president.
- Biden joked about an announcement, then said he has not considered a presidential run.
- He discussed seven years of sobriety and speaking out for Americans still struggling with addiction.
- Biden contrasted his past earnings with what he called far larger gains by Trump family members, and said he apologizes to his father daily.
What did Bill Maher say to Hunter Biden?
Maher framed the sit-down with a blunt opener. “Your obituary, the third word will be ‘laptop.’ I know everything about the laptop — more things than I want to know. I’ve seen you with your dick out. I’ve seen you with a crack pipe in your mouth. My question: Are you running for president?”
According to Variety, Maher largely treated Biden gently after that jolt. At one point he compared Biden to Charlie Sheen, saying Biden did some bad things but that he does not think Biden is a bad guy.
How did Hunter Biden respond on Real Time?
“I’m here to announce…,” Biden joked, before clarifying he has not thought of running. He added that if he ever announced a presidential bid, someone should check whether he had relapsed.
Variety described the 56-year-old as nervous but prepared. The interview fits a broader media blitz that has included Twitter-trolling, Substack posts, and appearances on far-right podcasts, raising questions about whether he is angling for a podcast deal or trying to clear his name while his father battles cancer.
What did Biden say about addiction and his father?
Biden said he has been sober for seven years and is speaking out because “there are 50 million Americans that are still sick and suffering every day from addiction.” He said he gets to speak to those people directly.
On his father, Joe Biden, who Variety notes is suffering from Stage 4 prostate cancer, Hunter said he has apologized “every day” for his mistakes. He called that regret “one of the greatest heartaches of my life,” adding, “I can never make up for that.”
Why did Biden bring up the Trump family?
Biden acknowledged his privilege and argued that money he made while his father was vice president was “a fraction of a penny” compared with what he said Trump’s children have made while their father was president.
He cited figures including Defense Department contracts tied to Don Jr.’s company, a large loan he said was pushed through by the White House, cryptocurrency dealings, and fees he linked to Jared Kushner and Gulf State money. Those claims were presented as Biden’s statements on air, as reported by Variety.