Hunter Biden Says This Was His Father's Biggest Mistake When He Was President

Hunter Biden said his father, former President Joe Biden, made his worst mistake when he appointed Merrick Garland as attorney general.

During an interview with leftist podcaster and boxed wine aficionado Jennifer Welch on the I’ve Had It podcast, Hunter discussed his father’s presidency. “My take is this, and removing myself from it as much as I can, my personal feelings, is the single greatest mistake of my father’s administration was the leadership of Merrick Garland,” he said.

He continued, saying that “the reason that we are in the situation that we’re in right now can almost… by the way, the buck has to stop with my dad. He was the president and he chose him” and criticized Garland for failing to move faster against President Donald Trump after the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol building.

NEW: Hunter Biden is calling the appointment of Merrick Garland as attorney general the "greatest mistake" his father made in office.

"My take is this, and removing myself from it as much as I can, my personal feelings, is the single greatest mistake of my father's… pic.twitter.com/HLdP1Zfhdz
— Fox News (@FoxNews) July 20, 2026

Hunter contended that the riot was a “planned conspiracy” and a “concerted and planned effort” that started before the 2020 election and that Garland was too cautious in going after those involved. He agreed with Welch’s assertion that Joe Biden chose Garland to appeal to Republicans and make up for his blocked Supreme Court nomination.

Interestingly enough, Joe Biden expressed similar regrets years earlier. According to Bob Woodward’s 2024 book, “War,” he told an associate that he “Should never have picked Garland” while discussing the Justice Department’s prosecution of his son. “This is never going to f*****g go away.”

Hunter Biden, called the appointment of Merrick Garland as U.S. attorney general the "greatest mistake" his father made in office. He faulted the attorney general for failing to prosecute Trump over Jan 6 protest.

Hunter, your senile father pardoned you of any and all other… pic.twitter.com/gmC2f6MJj8
— True Criminal™ (@DeadFedFiles) July 20, 2026

Garland’s tenure included several controversies and drew criticism from people on both sides. Folks on the left took him to task for taking too long to target those involved in the riot and Trump’s supposed role in the violence. He appointed special counsel Jack Smith in November 2022 after Trump announced another presidential run. This meant the federal cases Democrats tried to use against him did not reach trial before the 2024 election.

Garland also appointed David Weiss as special counsel to investigate Hunter Biden in 2023 after a plea deal collapsed.

Folks on the right repeatedly criticized Garland for unfairly targeting conservatives and Trump supporters, like when he worked with Teachers Unions to label parents as domestic terrorists for speaking out against the infusion of far-left ideology in government-run schools.

Editor's Note: Do you enjoy Townhall's conservative reporting that takes on the radical left and woke media? Support our work so that we can continue to bring you the truth.

Join Townhall VIP and use promo code FIGHT to receive 60% off your membership.