Hunter Biden was reportedly enraged after former President Barack Obama appeared to guide President Joe Biden offstage during a June 2024 fundraiser — a moment that quickly went viral.
According to a new book by ABC News’ Jonathan Karl, Hunter viewed the gesture as deeply disrespectful to his father. “I almost jumped up on the stage and said, ‘Don’t ever f--king do that to the president of the United States again — ever,’” Hunter told Karl.
The younger Biden said his father had simply been taking a moment to acknowledge the crowd. “I knew that that was going to be a meme,” he recalled. “That really, really, really, really pissed me off.”
The incident added fuel to mounting criticism about President Biden’s age and fitness for office — a concern shared by a large majority of voters at the time.
It wasn’t the only instance that sparked those concerns. Days earlier, Biden was filmed at a G7 event in Italy appearing to wander away from a group of world leaders. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni had to gently take him by the arm and guide him back.
The White House dismissed that footage, claiming the video had an “artificially narrow frame” that made it seem as though the president was walking off alone.
Still, the repeated clips of aides, allies, and even family members helping direct Biden offstage only intensified public debate about his ability to serve.