Hunter Biden blasts GOP for 'weaponization' of his drug addiction

First son Hunter Biden on Thursday excoriated Republicans and conservative figures for the "weaponization" of his drug addiction against his father, President Joe Biden, and insisted that Republican attempts to vilify him would blow back on others struggling with addiction.

The first son is known to have struggled with drug addiction over the years and his high-profile antics have regularly been the but of Republican jokes. The discovery of cocaine at the White House, in July, for instance, resulted in a litany of quips speculating that the drug belonged to Hunter.

"My struggles and my mistakes have been fodder for a vile and sustained disinformation campaign against him, and an all-out annihilation of my reputation through high-pitched but fruitless congressional investigations and, more recently, criminal charges for possessing an unloaded gun for 11 days five years ago – charges that appear to be the first-ever of their kind brought in the history of Delaware," he wrote in an op-ed published in USA Today.

"I am not a victim. By any standard, I grew up with privilege and opportunity, and fully accept that the choices and mistakes I made are mine, and I am accountable for them and will continue to be," he continued. "That is what recovery is about."

He went on to describe the considerable conservative coverage of his personal history, without making mention of his now-infamous laptop, that has since been confirmed as genuine. He further excoriated conservatives for displaying nude images of his person.

"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 and being bombarded by the denigrating and near-constant coverage of me and my addiction on Fox News (more airtime than GOP presidential candidate Ron DeSantis) and in The New York Post (an average of two stories a day over the past year)."

He closed the op-ed with words of encouragement for those seeking to turn away from addiction.

"The effort of recovery is something that should be celebrated, and I hope that despite my role as the punchline and punching bag for some, others will also make the effort I have made, one day at a time, and get honest with themselves and the people who love and rely upon them," he said. "The effort is worth it. You are worth it. I am living proof of that."

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter.