For example, in a particularly public screw-up, Hunter was given an "administrative" discharge from the Naval Reserves in 2013 after testing positive for cocaine. I remember reading about it at the time but given that his father was the VP, the story didn't get as much news coverage as I would have expected. This is how CNN covered it:
The Navy Reserve discharged Vice President Joe Biden's son Hunter this year after he tested positive for cocaine, U.S. officials confirmed.
The discharge of Biden, a 44-year-old lawyer and managing partner at an investment firm, was first reported by the Wall Street Journal on Thursday. He confirmed the report in a statement to CNN.
"It was the honor of my life to serve in the U.S. Navy, and I deeply regret and am embarrassed that my actions led to my administrative discharge. I respect the Navy's decision. With the love and support of my family, I'm moving forward," he said. (Read more here.)
Then the funeral was over and I didn't think about Hunter for a couple of years, until I saw a news report saying that he was going through a contentious divorce and oh, by-the-way, he was now romantically involved with his former sister-in-law, Beau's widow Hallie. (I wonder what a good shrink would have said about that.) That was in 2017 and apparently Hunter and Hallie were together until just a few weeks ago:
The son of presidential candidate Joe Biden, Hunter found love with Hallie following Beau’s tragic death from brain cancer at age 46 in 2015. However, it is believed they have now broken up. When contacted, Hallie told us, “No comment.” A source close to the family said it’s a private matter. It’s unclear why the pair parted ways, but sources further told us that the situation is “amicable.” (From Page Six in an article dated April 30, 2019, read it here.)
Now Hunter is back in the news again, having tied the knot with a women he barely knows. (Page Six says they knew each other for 10 days before getting married, read that here.) In a story headlined "Hunter Biden's messy personal lie is back in the news. Will it cause political headaches for his dad?" and dated yesterday, the Washington Post said this:
TMZ and Page Six on Wednesday revealed the unexpected nuptials of 49-year-old Hunter, whose love life has previously been the subject of tabloid-worthy drama: In 2017 he divorced his wife of more than 20 years, Kathleen Biden, after a messy split in which she accused him of blowing money on drugs and strip clubs.
Hunter had long lived in the shadow of his older brother, Beau, who was attorney general of Delaware, a military veteran and encouraged to run for higher office. Hunter, an attorney, was discharged from the Navy in 2014 after failing a drug test.
Following a battle with brain cancer, Beau died in 2015 at age 46 — leaving his family devastated. His grieving father wrestled with whether to run for president in 2016, ultimately deciding to wait out the race. The former vice president has cited Beau as an inspiration for his 2020 bid.
At the same time, Hunter’s tumultuous personal life has played out in public. Following his divorce from Kathleen, with whom he has three daughters, the Biden family acknowledged he was dating Hallie Biden, Beau’s widow and mother of Hunter’s niece and nephew.
Joe and Jill Biden maintained a unified front with Hunter in light of questions about the unusual romance, releasing a supportive statement to Page Six in 2017: “We are all lucky that Hunter and Hallie found each other as they were putting their lives together again after such sadness. They have mine and Jill’s full and complete support and we are happy for them.” (Read the story here.)
TMZ says the wedding took place on May 16, read that story here. Hunter's youngest daughter Maisy graduated from high school Sunday, there was no sign of the new Mrs. Biden in pictures posted by Jill Biden the next day:
Did Hunter's parents know, when these pictures were taken, that their son was newly married? Did his daughters know?
Hunter Biden is a private citizen and he can do whatever he wants. From a common sense point of view, however, marrying a woman you've known for approximately two weeks, very shortly after breaking up with your previous partner, who just happened to be your brother's widow, is almost certainly not a recipe for marital stability.
When Kim Kardashian and Kanye West got married in 2014 I gave it two years. I've now been proven wrong about that. Five years later Kimye is still a thing. Will Hunter Biden and Melissa Cohen be together in 2024? Almost certainly not. I give it two years.
Update: Hunter's not the only one whose personal life is messy. Page Six just posted an article that starts with this:
Pals of Melissa Cohen were stunned that she married Hunter Biden — because they said she was in a long-term relationship with someone else just weeks earlier.
We’re told that South African beauty started dating Malibu real estate developer Rob Mendez on July 4, 2017, and that they were living together until April of this year. After they split, the pair continued to “hang out” into May.
So when the news about her wedding to Biden broke, there was a flurry of emails between friends of the former couple, sharing the story. “Wow,” said one, “She just broke up with Rob!” They added, “So I’m quite shocked by this being so sudden after their breakup.”
Biden — the son of 2020 Democrat frontrunning, [sic] Joe Biden — was, until recently, dating his brother Beau’s widow, Hallie. Cohen was also previously married in 2011.
Cohen and Hunter married on May 16 after knowing each other for 10 days. (Read the article here.)
Did Hunter's parents know, when these pictures were taken, that their son was newly married? Did his daughters know?
Hunter Biden is a private citizen and he can do whatever he wants. From a common sense point of view, however, marrying a woman you've known for approximately two weeks, very shortly after breaking up with your previous partner, who just happened to be your brother's widow, is almost certainly not a recipe for marital stability.
When Kim Kardashian and Kanye West got married in 2014 I gave it two years. I've now been proven wrong about that. Five years later Kimye is still a thing. Will Hunter Biden and Melissa Cohen be together in 2024? Almost certainly not. I give it two years.
Update: Hunter's not the only one whose personal life is messy. Page Six just posted an article that starts with this:
Pals of Melissa Cohen were stunned that she married Hunter Biden — because they said she was in a long-term relationship with someone else just weeks earlier.
We’re told that South African beauty started dating Malibu real estate developer Rob Mendez on July 4, 2017, and that they were living together until April of this year. After they split, the pair continued to “hang out” into May.
So when the news about her wedding to Biden broke, there was a flurry of emails between friends of the former couple, sharing the story. “Wow,” said one, “She just broke up with Rob!” They added, “So I’m quite shocked by this being so sudden after their breakup.”
Biden — the son of 2020 Democrat frontrunning, [sic] Joe Biden — was, until recently, dating his brother Beau’s widow, Hallie. Cohen was also previously married in 2011.
Cohen and Hunter married on May 16 after knowing each other for 10 days. (Read the article here.)
This story is getting stranger by the minute. The more I learn the more convinced I am that happily ever after is not in the cards for Hunter and Melissa.
Update #2 on Friday morning. Hunter Biden's new father-in-law, mother-in-law and brother-in-law, a.k.a. the bride's father, mother and brother, have all commented positively about the marriage. (Read about it here and here.) On the other hand, other than one word, "yes," from Joe Biden in answer to the obvious question (see video below,) there's been no comment from anyone in the Biden family. No good wishes, nothing warm and pleasant about their new daughter-in-law, no "we can't wait to meet her," etc. Is it possible Joe and Jill are not thrilled about Hunter's quickie marriage? My guess? Yes.
Update #3 on Saturday morning. Confession: I'm still thinking about Hunter Biden and his strange, secret marriage. I tried to be tactful when I wrote the original post above; here's what I really think: Marrying a woman you've known for two weeks is a really stupid thing to do, signaling a lack of emotional maturity and extremely poor judgment. (It's also a clear example of bad decision-making by an addict, which by his own admission, Hunter Biden is.) In addition, at the age of 32, the bride is 17 years younger than the groom and only 8 years older than his oldest daughter. A 17-year age gap isn't necessarily a deal-breaker, but in this situation I'd say it's a red flag.
I can't help wondering, what was the rush? Why not just date for a while? (If I was in a position to talk to someone considering getting married after two weeks, this is what I'd say: "What are you afraid of? What do you think will happen if you don't get married right away?") I'm also struck by the on-going silence from the Biden family. I'm now convinced of two things. One, there's more to this story, and two, the marriage won't last. I said above that I give it two years, but that was probably too optimistic. Frankly, I'd be surprised if Hunter and Melissa are still together at Christmas.
Update #2 on Friday morning. Hunter Biden's new father-in-law, mother-in-law and brother-in-law, a.k.a. the bride's father, mother and brother, have all commented positively about the marriage. (Read about it here and here.) On the other hand, other than one word, "yes," from Joe Biden in answer to the obvious question (see video below,) there's been no comment from anyone in the Biden family. No good wishes, nothing warm and pleasant about their new daughter-in-law, no "we can't wait to meet her," etc. Is it possible Joe and Jill are not thrilled about Hunter's quickie marriage? My guess? Yes.
Here's the brief video of Joe Biden on his son Hunter being married recently. pic.twitter.com/kixOZEid7b— Adam Brewster (@adam_brew) June 13, 2019
Update #3 on Saturday morning. Confession: I'm still thinking about Hunter Biden and his strange, secret marriage. I tried to be tactful when I wrote the original post above; here's what I really think: Marrying a woman you've known for two weeks is a really stupid thing to do, signaling a lack of emotional maturity and extremely poor judgment. (It's also a clear example of bad decision-making by an addict, which by his own admission, Hunter Biden is.) In addition, at the age of 32, the bride is 17 years younger than the groom and only 8 years older than his oldest daughter. A 17-year age gap isn't necessarily a deal-breaker, but in this situation I'd say it's a red flag.
I can't help wondering, what was the rush? Why not just date for a while? (If I was in a position to talk to someone considering getting married after two weeks, this is what I'd say: "What are you afraid of? What do you think will happen if you don't get married right away?") I'm also struck by the on-going silence from the Biden family. I'm now convinced of two things. One, there's more to this story, and two, the marriage won't last. I said above that I give it two years, but that was probably too optimistic. Frankly, I'd be surprised if Hunter and Melissa are still together at Christmas.
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