Hunter Biden says constant 'demonization' of his alcohol addiction is making it harder for others to get sober
AP Photo/Andrew Harnik
- Hunter Biden said the constant "demonization" of his alcohol struggles dissuades others from getting sober.
- In a USA Today op-ed, he accused "partisan and craven factions" of weaponizing his addiction.
- Hunter Biden has become a regular target for Republican attacks on President Joe Biden.
Hunter Biden said the constant "demonization" of his alcohol addiction is making it harder for others to make the tough decision to get sober.
In an op-ed published in USA Today on Thursday, Biden took aim at what he called the "partisan and craven factions" who he said have led an "all-out annihilation" of his reputation.
"What troubles me is the demonization of addiction, of human frailty, using me as its avatar, and the devastating consequences it has for the millions struggling with addiction, desperate for a way out," he wrote.
President Joe Biden's eldest son has struggled with alcohol addiction for decades, going in and out of multiple rehab centers only to relapse.
Republicans have used Hunter Biden's checkered past, as well as his business dealings, as a foil in which to attack Biden Snr.
In September, federal prosecutors indicted Biden on gun charges after a plea deal fell apart.
House Republicans have spearheaded a push to impeach the US president for allegedly profiting financially from Hunter Biden's foreign business dealings in exchange for influencing US foreign policy, despite one House Freedom Caucus member saying there's no evidence linking Joe Biden to a high crime.
While Hunter Biden said he is fully responsible for his actions, he warned that the "weaponization" of his "addiction" poses a "real threat" to those who want to get sober but are scared of what might happen if they do, he said.
He cited the New York Post and Fox News, which, he said, posted an average of two stories on him every day, and gave him more airtime than Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis.
The intense media scrutiny, Biden said, involved sharing sometimes edited nude photos of him, airing revenge porn on national television, and igniting rumors that his recent haircut was an attempt to "evade drug tests."
In the op-ed, Hunter Biden also slammed former Trump officials, whom he said "dehumanized" and "debased" him for their own benefit. He cited Rudy Giuliani and Garrett Ziegler, both of whom he is suing for allegedly hacking his electronic devices.
When it came to his addiction, Biden said his experience wasn't unique.
"At least 20 million Americans today suffer from substance abuse disorder," he wrote, citing data from the Department of Health and Human Services.
He added: "However, far too few will ever experience the miracle of recovery unless we change the stigma around addiction."