OAN Staff Cory Hawkins
4:08 PM – Tuesday, December 23, 2025
Hunter Biden tore into his father, former Democrat President Joe Biden, calling his handling of the 2021 U.S. troop withdrawal from Afghanistan an “obvious f—ing failure,” in addition to expressing frustration with his father’s immigration policies.
The shocking criticism — along with sharp attacks on his father’s immigration policies — came during a five-hour interview on “The Shawn Ryan Show” podcast, released Monday.
While discussing the U.S. armed forces, Hunter criticized his father’s execution of the 2021 troop withdrawal from Afghanistan, calling it “an obvious f—ing failure.” A 2022 Department of Defense report revealed that more than $7 billion in U.S.-funded military equipment left behind was subsequently seized by the Taliban.
The chaotic withdrawal was further marked by an ISIS-K suicide bombing at Kabul’s Hamid Karzai International Airport, which killed 13 American service members as they assisted Afghans fleeing the country.
However, Hunter qualified his remarks by adding, “I think leaving Afghanistan was the right thing to do,” in the long run, while reiterating once more that the manner in which it was carried out was deeply flawed.
“I think that 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 said.
Meanwhile, on the topic of immigration, 55-year-old Biden also expressed frustration with his father’s policy on immigration, which coincided with the unauthorized illegal alien population in the U.S. reaching an estimated record high of 14 million in 2023, up from 10.5 million in 2021, according to the Pew Research Center.
“We need vibrant immigration, but we don’t want immigrants that are coming here illegally, draining us of resources, and being prioritized above people that are actual, literal heroes, that are still recovering from 21, 20 years of endless war — or anybody else in our society,” he said.
Nonetheless, Hunter later defended his father’s administration, arguing that it had initially secured Republican support for a major Senate border bill before President Trump encouraged GOP members to withdraw their backing.
His comments referred to a bipartisan Senate border and security package that the former Democrat president previously supported, even though the legislation ultimately stalled in Congress. Although fewer in number, a small group of Democrats also voted against the bill’s advancement because they felt the border/security provisions were too punitive and did not include protections for longtime illegal aliens brought to the U.S. as children.
“And then Donald Trump stepped in six months before the election, and told [Republicans] that he was gonna primary every single one of them that voted for that, because we’re addicted to the problem,” Hunter continued.
Hunter concluded the interview by stating that he was currently unsure of his place on the political spectrum, declaring, “I don’t even know if I’m a Democrat anymore.”
Hunter has long taken aim at Trump’s immigration policies, yet he has also been blunt in accusing Democrats of failing to address the issue effectively. In a July 21st interview with YouTuber Andrew Callaghan on “Channel 5,” he intensified that critique by leaning on a trope often employed by liberals to minimize public concern over illegal immigration.
“How do you think your hotel room gets cleaned? How do you think you have food on your f—ing table? Who do you think washes your dishes? Who do you think does your f—ing garden?” Hunter said in the previous interview, suggesting that the U.S. needs illegal immigrants to work the jobs that most Americans don’t want.
The Trump administration has restricted immigration significantly since his return to the White House, expanding travel bans, slowing green card processes and refugee-related applications, in addition to suspending the Diversity Visa lottery program.
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has also since reported a “92% decrease” in nationwide illegal crossings in comparison to that of the Biden administration.
Stay informed! Receive breaking news blasts directly to your inbox for free. Subscribe here. https://www.oann.com/alerts
What do YOU think? Click here to jump to the comments!
Sponsored Content Below