During Tuesday night’s debate, President Donald Trump repeatedly shifted his attacks from former Vice President and Democratic candidate Joe Biden to son Hunter Biden‘s struggles with substance abuse and involvement with a recently investigated Ukrainian energy company, Burisma.
Biden sought ought to criticize Trump’s opinions of members of the United States military, where he called them “losers” and “suckers.” Biden spoke of his late son Beau Biden’s service in Iraq, stating, “he was not a loser. He was a patriot, and the people left behind there were heroes.”
Trump quickly intervened, asking, “are you talking about Hunter?” Biden responded, “I’m talking about my son, Beau Biden.”
“I don’t know Beau,” Trump interrupted, “I know Hunter.” Beau Biden died in 2015 from a brain tumor.
“Hunter got thrown out of the military… for cocaine use,” Trump baselessly argued. “He didn’t have a job until you became Vice President.” He then stated that Hunter had “made a fortune” in Ukraine and China, referring to his board position at Burisma. Biden avoided the accusations about Burisma, but did address his son’s drug abuse.
“He’s fixed it, he’s worked on it. I’m proud of him. I’m proud of my son.”
Hunter Biden’s position at Burisma was recently investigated by Republican Senate committees. The report released last week from the committees said that although Biden’s position was “problematic” and a possible conflict of interest, “the extent to which Hunter Biden’s role… affected U.S. policy toward Ukraine is not clear.”
