The sordid saga of Hunter Biden's lies comes full circle with President Biden's pardon. It is a tale stretching far beyond the infamous laptop and encompassing far more than the Bidens themselves. Yet while falsehoods are this epic’s most focal aspect, its subplot is one of entitlement—just like the elites who told us that the lies were true.
Hunter Biden’s laptop is not a new story. It stretches back to 2020 when the New York Post broke the news of its discovery just weeks before the election. The establishment media denied it, its content was ignored, and Biden was elected. The lies were well underway.
The lies continued. Three years later, Hunter Biden’s attorneys filed suit against individuals they claimed violated the law to obtain and release the laptop’s salacious and damaging information.
A year later, the laptop—its contents now grudgingly validated—was used in the federal prosecution of Hunter Biden on gun charges. Hunter would be convicted on all three gun charges and plead guilty to federal tax charges.
In June 2024, when Joe Biden was fighting to save his presidential nomination, he and the White House repeatedly promised not to pardon Hunter.
Coming as they did from so many—Hunter, Joe, the administration, Democrats, and the establishment media—it is impossible to count all the lies that were strung together in just the laptop episode. However, the lies hardly started there.
Virtually Hunter Biden’s entire career has been built on lies. Following law school, Hunter Biden worked at MBNA, a bank holding company with Delaware headquarters and close connections to then-Senator Joe Biden of Delaware. While still receiving money from MBNA, Hunter opened a lobbying business with interested clients before Senator Biden’s committees.
In 2006, Hunter and a relative purchased Paradigm Global Advisors, a hedge fund group connected with several questionable individuals—including one convicted of running one of the largest Ponzi schemes in American history.
2013 Hunter flew with then-Vice President Biden on an official trip to China. Two weeks later, Hunter became a founding board member (later taking a 10% equity stake in the company) of a Chinese private equity firm, BHR.
In 2014, Hunter became involved in Burisma Holdings, a Ukrainian energy company being investigated for illegal activities by Ukraine’s Prosecutor General. Vice President Biden would work tirelessly to get the prosecutor fired. The prosecutor was forced to resign. Rumors of payouts and Vice President Biden’s involvement swirled.
In 2017, Hunter joined Chinese oil magnate Ye Jianming to develop a natural gas project in Louisiana. The deal fell through, and Chinese officials held Ye on corruption charges.
As for Hunter Biden’s personal story, the salacious details have already been thoroughly recounted, not just from the laptop’s contents and divorce proceedings, but his own 2021 autobiographical account of addiction, Beautiful Things. The lies were no less plentiful here—including an out-of-wedlock child that was denied by Hunter and the administration—only to have DNA testing prove them true.
The running thread through all this is lies. They are seemingly in every episode of every phase and facet of Hunter’s life. And they were seemingly told by all involved in trying to shield Hunter: Joe, the administration, the Democrat Party, and the establishment media.
And the lies were patently obvious on the surface, even as America was being told otherwise. Considering his professional and personal track record, why would anyone be involved with Hunter except for his connection to Joe Biden? Who would recommend such exorbitant sums being spent except for this connection?
The overarching lie was, and remains, that the obvious—time and time and time again—was somehow not the truth. Yet, this is what Joe Biden, the administration, Democrat defenders, and the establishment media wanted us to believe for years.
However, there is a less obvious—but no less prevalent—element to this saga than the lies. It is that of elitist entitlement. Hunter Biden could have chosen another career path—seemingly any career path, considering his father’s connections and willingness to help. He was a graduate of Georgetown and Yale, both lottery-landings for most people. He was hired early by MBNA, another career coup for most.
Just following this initial career path would have led him to prestige and wealth in most circles of American society. Yet, that was not enough. After all, Hunter Biden was a member of the elite. He was therefore entitled to more. Much more. He should travel in the wealthiest circles. Despite failure on failure, he was picked back up to try and try again.
It is fitting that Hunter Biden’s saga of lies should end with President Biden’s broken promise that he would not pardon his son. It is more fitting still that the elite who Democrats now represent were involved throughout, churning out lies and turning blind eyes. After all, like Hunter Biden, they are entitled.
J.T. Young is the author of the new book, Unprecedented Assault: How Big Government Unleashed America’s Socialist Left, from RealClear Publishing and has over three decades’ experience working in Congress, Department of Treasury, and OMB, and representing a Fortune 20 company.