Topline
Vice President JD Vance suggested Tuesday that former President Joe Biden’s son Hunter Biden could be eligible for a payout from the Trump administration’s new $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund, one of several Trump allies who have singled out the ex-president’s son in recent days as they try to deflect criticism the fund is meant to enrich the president’s allies.
Hunter Biden, the son President Joe Biden, at the White House on September 30, 2024.
CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images
Key Facts
Vance brought up Biden’s son during a press briefing Tuesday as he defended the $1.776 billion fund—intended for those who feel the Justice Department was “weaponized” against them—claiming, “If Hunter Biden wants to apply for this particular fund, he is welcome to.”
While critics of President Donald Trump have pointed to the $1.8 billion settlement fund as a “slush fund” to help Trump’s allies, the Trump administration has claimed the fund is instead nonpartisan and meant for people from either party who believe they were unfairly prosecuted, including potentially Biden’s son.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche also raised Hunter Biden as a potential beneficiary of the fund in a congressional hearing on Tuesday, after an anonymous federal official first floated Biden’s name to The New York Post on Monday.
Hunter Biden was convicted on three felony gun charges in June 2024 and later pleaded guilty to separate tax offenses later that year, but received a full pardon from his father before the former president left the White House.
There’s so far no indication that Biden actually plans to apply for relief under the fund, which is set to administer both formal apologies from the government and monetary compensation, and the anonymous official told the Post only that he “potentially expect[s]” the ex-president’s son to file a claim.
What To Watch For
While Hunter Biden has not yet commented on the $1.8 billion fund, he’s slated to appear on Candace Owens’ podcast this week, where he could discuss the possibility. The former president’s son established an X account Tuesday, posting, “I’m Hunter Biden. You’ve never actually heard from me.”
Tangent
Vance also declined to rule out Tuesday that Jan. 6 rioters who were convicted for assaulting police officers could receive money from the fund. “I don’t rule things out categorically when I know nothing about a person’s individual circumstances,” Vance told reporters, saying the fund would review claims on a “case-by-case basis.”
Key Background
The new $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund came out of Trump’s settling his $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS, in which he claimed the agency did not properly protect his tax returns after a contractor was able to share them with news outlets. The settlement and resulting fund has raised widespread concern from Democrats and ethics experts, as it allows Trump to use the government’s resources to benefit his political allies, such as Jan. 6 rioters. Trump also settled the case before the judge overseeing it could potentially have thrown it out for being invalid—as she questioned whether Trump and the IRS were actually opposing parties—sparking concerns that Trump was trying to circumvent the courts and profit off a lawsuit that was potentially never lawful to begin with.