‘That Did Not Happen!’ Hunter Biden Hits Back at Bombshell George Clooney Claim From Jake Tapper Book
Former first son Hunter Biden categorically refuted the claim that then-President Joe Biden didn’t recognize George Clooney backstage at a fundraiser, saying the incident reported in the Jake Tapper–Alex Thompson-authored Original Sin “did not happen!”
Clooney’s op-ed urging Biden to drop out was very influential in turning the tide as the president tried to weather the fallout from a disastrous debate performance.
In the book, Tapper and Thompson expanded on Clooney’s comments with an anecdote that was key to Clooney’s push to oust Biden. A very short video clip of the moment emerged that did not corroborate the book’s version of events.
Hunter Biden sat down for a rare three-hour-plus interview on Substack this week, during which he said that the incident described never happened, called it “total bullsh*t,” and explained what he saw actually happen at that event. He also answered whether he has forgiven Clooney:
TOMMY CHRISTOPHER: There was somebody who was there who put up like a three second video of the encounter between your father and Clooney at that fundraiser.
VIDEO CLIP:
CLOONEY: Yeah. It’s a long trip.
TOMMY CHRISTOPHER: And you couldn’t really tell much from it. But do you know about this video? And is there a longer video? I would love to get that. If you have it, I mean, you know. Just tell me about that encounter.
HUNTER BIDEN: Now, I don’t know. I’m sure there is. Yeah. I mean, you’ve been kind of behind the curtain at like events like that, like political events, but with the president and or if it’s the vice president and, and, you know, what what happens in those instances is that basically a long line forms and and there’s always somebody, whether it’s a military aide in many instances when it’s more formal or a personal aide that will stand next to the president. As people come by in the line, because everybody wants a picture with them.
And then, I don’t know whether George Clooney wanted a picture or not. I bet he could care less. He’s had and met plenty of pictures with presidents and things like that.
When he was coming in, this is my recollection of it, is that the aide said, “Mr. President, George Clooney and Julia Roberts.”
My dad turns and says, “Hello, George,” and that’s it. I remember that the interaction being seconds. Um you know maybe a little bit less.
I think George very much did not want to want to be there and he had his own issues.
Let me let me step back for a second. I’m an angry son on behalf of my father, but I’m not an angry man, and I’m non-irrational. And the thing that I’m no irrational about is this, is that I hate fighting with people that care about the same things that I do.
But what George did, I just thought was a, was a self-sabotaging act of disloyalty, not just to my dad, but to the whole party. That’s my opinion, okay? And I think I have a right to be really upset about it.
That does not mean that I don’t understand that George Clooney is a, not just a legendary actor, but he is a by all accounts from everybody that knows him. An incredibly good guy, and is a beloved character. And I knew that before I said what I said on Andrew, and I know that when I say it now. But here’s the thing, here’s this.
You can say whatever you want about me, but when you use moments, whether they were private or public, and call yourself a friend, and then stab my dad in the back. I don’t know why anyone would think that I have anything nice to say, and so that’s how I feel.
It doesn’t make me think that George Clooney doesn’t absolutely care and has dedicated much of his life to caring about the same things that I care about, and I hope he keeps doing that.
TOMMY CHRISTOPHER: Do you forgive him?
HUNTER BIDEN: No, not yet. I gotta get there. And I’m just really being honest about it. I’m really being an honest about is that…
But here’s the other thing, is that, who the fuck am I? Whether George Clooney cares or not, whether I’m going to forgive him or not. I’m sure he thinks that what he did was the right thing to do.
And all I can say is that you just come from a different part of town than where I come from when it comes to loyalty, if that’s what you believe.
TOMMY CHRISTOPHER: So, just to button it up though, so you said you were there, and according to the book, the aide introduced George and then the president said hello to him, and then I guess the aide got the sense that he didn’t realize it was George Clooney and then reminded him “This is George Clooney, sir.”.
Did that not happen? I don’t know, you—
HUNTER BIDEN: No, that did not happen! Yeah, that did not happen. And that’s what I mean. It’s, it’s total bullsh*t!
I mean, that part of it, whether you see a video that as– it’s like this! (SNAPS FINGERS) He’s coming through. (Yeah. I know. Yeah, yeah. I saw the video.}.
I mean, look, maybe George Clooney didn’t– felt like he didn’t get the the attention that he deserves.
Biden had a lot more to say about Clooney and Tapper, respectively, which you can see via the Tommy Christopher Substack interview series or on Mediaite later this week.
