Hunter Biden Calls Biden Administration’s Border Policy and Afghanistan Withdrawal “Disasters”
In a marathon interview on “The Shawn Ryan Show” released Monday, the former first son criticized two major decisions made under his father, former President Joe Biden — a wide-open southern border policy and the U.S. military’s disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Hunter Biden described the Biden-era immigration approach as “a disaster” and acknowledged the chaotic Kabul exit that left 13 U.S. service members dead was “an obvious” failure. He argued the United States needs “vibrant” legal immigration but warned the country “doesn’t want immigrants that are coming here illegally, draining us of resources” and being “prioritized above” veterans and other Americans struggling at home.
The comments came during an exchange with host Shawn Ryan, who highlighted the contrast many Americans see between overwhelmed veteran services and taxpayer-funded benefits for illegal immigrants in major cities. Hunter Biden pushed back on the idea that cutting benefits for migrants would automatically solve problems at the Department of Veterans Affairs, insisting his father “cared” about veterans and pointing to the PACT Act as one example of support.
Still, his broader admission underscored what Republicans have argued for years: The Biden administration lost operational control of the border and refused to aggressively enforce existing law until political pressure peaked. Government projections highlighted the scale of the surge, with the Congressional Budget Office projecting net immigration of about 2.4 million people per year in 2023 and 2024 under an “other foreign nationals” category before falling toward historical levels.
Hunter Biden also revived a familiar Democrat talking point, claiming a sweeping border bill negotiated by Sens. James Lankford (R-Okla.), Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.), and Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) had GOP support until Donald Trump intervened ahead of the 2024 election. Republicans countered that enforcement tools already existed and that President Joe Biden simply chose not to use them, while Trump has emphasized deterrence, removals, and limiting asylum abuse.
On Afghanistan, Hunter Biden stated leaving the country after two decades of war was “the right thing to do,” but he faulted the execution of the withdrawal. He referenced the ISIS-K suicide bombing at Kabul’s airport during the evacuation that killed 13 U.S. troops and roughly 170 Afghan civilians. “I think there was a better way to do it, and … I can blame it on his generals, I can blame it on [other] people for the way in which we did it, but — and my dad always knew this also — is that the buck stops with him,” Hunter Biden said.
He added his father was “crushed” by the deaths but warned his blunt assessment would likely fuel renewed scrutiny of the Biden team’s planning and its deadly consequences — an issue Republicans have long argued became a symbol of diminished American credibility abroad.
