Hunter Biden accused CNN anchor Jake Tapper of “attacking” his stepmother Jill Biden, while contrasting that criticism with what he described as business and political ties tied to Donald Trump’s family. The dispute follows Tapper’s Instagram video challenging
Hunter Biden didn’t wait for morning news cycles. Early Wednesday. he turned to his official X account and went after CNN anchor Jake Tapper—claiming Tapper was focused on “attacking” his stepmother. former First Lady Jill Biden. while seemingly ignoring what Hunter Biden framed as dealings involving President Donald Trump’s family.
“So let me get this straight. Jake Tapper is focused on attacking my Mom,” Biden tweeted, then moved quickly into a list of allegations and contrasts involving Trump relatives. He wrote that “Jared [Kushner] and Ivanka [Trump] are building a private island paradise on Albanian protected land.”
He continued with more targeted claims, saying, “Don Jr married the daughter of Epstein’s banker, and a startup his fund backs just got a record $620M Pentagon loan.” He added that “Eric [Trump] is taking an Israeli drone company public for $1.5B in the middle of a war with Iran that nobody wanted.”
And when Tapper’s criticism led back toward the question of Hunter Biden’s own past work, the tweet closed with a dismissive swipe: “And I know: ‘But what about your paintings, Hunter?’ Please,” Hunter Biden wrote.
The exchange has its roots in what Tapper posted earlier this week on CNN’s official Instagram account. In a video. Tapper heavily criticized and directly disputed claims made by Jill Biden in her new memoir. “View From the East Wing.” Jill Biden has been promoting the book this week. appearing on news programs and daytime shows including MS NOW’s “Morning Joe” and ABC’s “The View.”.
Tapper began by quoting a passage from the memoir in which Jill Biden insisted that—contrary to what critics believe—Joe Biden would have willingly stepped down from presidential office if he had ever reached the point where he wasn’t capable of doing the job anymore. She also wrote that she and members of his staff would not have allowed him to remain in his position if he had shown signs of “cognitive impairment.”.
Tapper responded by calling those statements “very hard to believe, if not downright false,” and describing Jill Biden as “the Queen of Omission.”
He then pushed a harsher interpretation of what he said Jill Biden was doing with her account. saying. “The most charitable interpretation of Jill Biden’s book is that she’s still having a difficult time. understandably. talking about what we’re all seeing happen to [her husband] and what we’ve all been seeing happen to him for years.”.
A different version, Tapper said, pointed the other way. “A less forgiving version is that she’s been enabling it.”
Tapper added that Jill Biden appeared to be trying to make an excuse while also implying there were matters she might not fully want to acknowledge. “Now. she’s seeking to try to make an excuse for it. while also hinting here and there that were things going on that she maybe doesn’t even want to acknowledge to herself. ” he said.
The backdrop to the memoir claims is Joe Biden’s health disclosure. In 2025, the Biden family publicly disclosed that the former president had been diagnosed with stage four cancer.
Earlier this week, Jill Biden told hosts on “The View” that her husband could likely not have served another four years as president even if he had been reelected in 2024. “Not from what I know now,” she said.
By Wednesday morning, Hunter Biden’s response wasn’t just a counterpunch—it was a redirection. He framed Tapper’s criticism as personal “attack” on his mother while spotlighting the Trump family actions he listed in his tweet. bringing the memoir dispute into a wider argument about who gets challenged—and who gets overlooked.
Hunter Biden Jake Tapper Jill Biden CNN Instagram View From the East Wing The View Morning Joe X Albanian protected land $620M Pentagon loan $1.5B Israeli drone company stage four cancer