Hunter Biden ain’t holding back no more. In a wild three-hour interview with Andrew Callaghan on YouTube’s Channel 5, he tore into Hollywood donors and party strategists who pushed his dad outta the 2024 race. His main target? George Clooney. “Fuck him and everyone around him... What right do you have to step on a man who’s given 52 years of his fucking life to the service of his country?” Hunter raged. He questioned why Clooney’s opinion mattered at all, calling him “not a fucking actor” but “a brand” .

But Clooney wasn’t the only one in Hunter’s crosshairs. He blasted David Axelrod—Obama’s former strategist—saying he “had one success in his political life, and that was Barack Obama.” Longtime Biden adviser Anita Dunn got accused of making “$40 to $50 million” off Democratic work. Even the Pod Save America hosts weren’t spared: Hunter dismissed them as “four white millionaires that are dining out on their association with Barack Obama from 16 years ago” .

The interview exposed raw family bitterness about how Joe Biden’s exit went down. Hunter insisted his dad “chose to save the party” by dropping out but still believed he “could have won.” This wasn’t just venting; it was a public airing of internal Democratic fractures that’s still reverberating through fundraisers and strategy sessions .

Behind closed doors, Barack and Michelle Obama saw Joe Biden’s decline way before the public did. Sources spilled that they were “deeply troubled” by Biden’s “plummeting approval ratings and seemingly diminished ability to handle the rigors of office.” Things got so tense that Obama reportedly rushed to a secret meeting where he “read Joe the riot act,” telling him to “up his game or step aside” .

An insider put it bluntly: “The Obamas are convinced Joe’s lost his grip... He looks more feeble and clueless every day.” They pointed to moments like Biden forgetting his actions at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, where soldiers had to redirect him. Even Biden’s team couldn’t hide slip-ups—like when Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin vanished for days during cancer treatment without Biden apparently noticing. “The fact that the president was clueless... is staggering,” a Washington source admitted .

Obama’s camp used proxies to voice concerns too. He huddled with David Axelrod, who became a “public mouthpiece” about “Joe’s incompetence and declining mental capacities.” Meanwhile, Michelle Obama’s comments added fuel when she fretted publicly: “I am terrified about what could possibly happen—because our leaders matter” .

After dodging the New York Times for years, Biden finally gave ’em a 10-minute interview in July 2025—but it backfired spectacularly. The topic? His use of an autopen (a machine that replicates signatures) for official pardons. Biden insisted he “made every decision” on clemencies himself, calling Trump and GOP critics “liars.” Problem is, the Times buried a crucial detail 32 paragraphs deep: Biden “did not individually approve each name for the categorical pardons,” leaving staff to handle batches .

Conservatives pounced. The Heritage Foundation’s Oversight Project had already exposed that most Biden documents used autopens, not hand signatures. Trump seized it, calling it “disgraceful” and possibly “one of the biggest scandals in 50 to 100 years.” His press secretary Karoline Leavitt slammed Biden for letting “unelected leftist staffers” control the presidency via autopen .

Legal experts noted the Constitution doesn’t require handwritten signatures, and a 2005 DOJ memo blessed autopen use. But optically, it fed into narratives about Biden’s detachment. Even Hunter’s pardon—the only one Biden physically signed—drew ethics complaints about special treatment .

Why’d Joe Biden bomb so hard in the 2024 debate against Trump? Hunter’s got a theory: Ambien and exhaustion. “He flew around the world... They give him Ambien to be able to sleep. He gets up on stage and he looks like he’s a deer in the headlights,” he told Callaghan. Later, Hunter clarified to ABC he didn’t know if Biden took Ambien right before the debate—just that he used it during brutal pre-debate travel .

Politico’s analysis called this “alternate history.” Hunter claimed post-debate, Biden aced a “tour de force” press conference on NATO and Ukraine. But polls told a different story: Gallup showed Biden’s approval at a record-low 36% post-debate. Advisors reportedly admitted “no one involved in the effort thinks he has a path [to victory].” Yet Hunter still insisted his dad only dropped out to unify Democrats .

The Ambien defense rang hollow for critics. Biden’s team never confirmed sleep aid use, and the debate performance fit a pattern of gaffes—like his confused exit after a Valley Forge speech where Jill Biden “led him off stage” .

Joe Biden wants back in the game. He met with new DNC chair Ken Martin last month, offering to fundraise or campaign for 2026. Jill Biden’s also ready to help, recognizing “responsibilities to the party.” But guess what? Many Democrats ain’t interested. A major Biden supporter admitted anonymously: “Who’s going to want Joe Biden back in the game?”

Polls explain the cold shoulder: Only 27% of voters view Democrats positively—the lowest ever in NBC’s data since 1990. Worse, just 1% of Democrats picked Biden as reflecting the party’s values in a CNN survey. Fundraiser Alan Kessler summed it up: “It’s time to move on with new leadership.” Even allies like Donna Brazile argue responding to Trump’s attacks “makes no sense” when “Americans are looking forward” .

Biden himself feels betrayed, believing Trump’s win proves Dems erred in pushing him out. But 2024’s wounds are fresh. Many blame Biden for staying in too long, handicapping Kamala Harris’s late-starting campaign. As one Democrat griped, Biden “screwed” and “fucked” the party by running again .

Trump just can’t quit Joe Biden. Since taking office in January 2025, he’s mentioned Biden, his family, or his administration over 400 times—averaging 7 times daily. Most references tie Biden to Trump’s talking points: immigration, inflation, or the DOJ. Press secretary Karoline Leavitt justified it as “fixing problems started by the Biden administration” .

The fixation gets petty. Trump questioned Biden’s autopen use at a DOJ speech, calling it “disrespectful.” VP JD Vance took cheap shots about Biden being “asleep most of the time.” And in July 2025, Trump abruptly ended Secret Service protection for Hunter and Ashley Biden—reportedly shocking Joe and Jill, who worried about their kids’ safety .

Why keep punching a guy who’s left the ring? Trump knows Biden’s unpopularity helps him. As Leavitt put it, reminding voters of Biden “problems” frames Trump as a fixer. Plus, Biden’s low polling drags down the whole Democratic brand .

Democrats face a brutal 2026 landscape. Party popularity is cratering, and Hunter’s rants distract from GOP scandals like the Jeffrey Epstein document dump—which forced House Republicans to adjourn early to avoid voting on disclosures . Meanwhile, Elon Musk’s new “America Party” threatens to peel off protest voters in key districts. As Musk boasted, targeting “2 or 3 Senate seats and 8 to 10 House districts” could let his party be the “deciding vote on contentious laws” .

Biden’s comeback attempts complicate things further. His team denies mental decline, but leaks from books like Original Sin (by Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson) detail aides discussing hiding Biden’s frailty—even considering wheelchairs post-reelection to dodge “politically untenable” optics. Tapper accused the White House of “lying... to members of their own cabinet” about Biden’s health .

The fallout? Democrats risk looking divided and backward-looking. While Hunter rants about Clooney and Axelrod, Trump’s agenda plows ahead. Unless the party finds new messengers fast, 2026 could cement GOP control—fueled by Biden-era resentments .

What’s next for the Bidens? Joe and Jill plan memoirs, with Joe consulting ex-staff like Blinken and Sullivan. Hunter’s battling lawsuits, including one against ex-Overstock CEO Patrick Byrne for falsely claiming Hunter offered Iranian deals for cash. And there’s lingering anger about Trump yanking Secret Service protection from Hunter and Ashley .

Hunter’s legal exposure remains high. Trump’s DOJ could revisit his gun and tax convictions—especially since Joe Biden’s controversial last-minute pardon spared him prison. Gaetz already needled Hunter during closed-door testimony, asking about drug use. Hunter fired back: “Matt Gaetz, of all people, was giving me shit about my drug use?”

The Bidens keep a low public profile otherwise. Joe gave one post-presidency speech to a Model UN group in NYC. Jill focuses on comforting “unnerved” Americans. But behind closed doors, the family’s stewing—and Hunter’s media tour proves the grudges aren’t fading .

Q: What did Hunter Biden accuse George Clooney of?A: Hunter blamed Clooney for undermining Joe Biden by publishing a New York Times op-ed calling for him to quit the 2024 race. He raged: “What right do you have to step on a man who’s given 52 years of his fucking life to the service of his country?”

Q: Did the Obamas really think Biden had dementia?A: Sources claimed Barack and Michelle Obama believed Biden had “lost his grip” mentally. Barack reportedly confronted Biden privately, telling him to “up his game or step aside” .

Q: Why did Biden use an autopen for pardons?A: Biden claimed he approved all pardons personally, but aides handled batches for “categorical pardons.” Trump attacked this as evidence Biden wasn’t fully engaged .

Q: Is Hunter Biden still under investigation?A: He faces civil suits (like Patrick Byrne’s), and Trump’s DOJ could revisit his pardoned gun/tax charges. Gaetz already questioned him about drug use in congressional testimony .

Q: Are Democrats embracing Joe Biden’s help for 2026?A: Many resist, viewing him as a liability. Polls show only 1% of Democrats see him as reflecting party values. A fundraiser bluntly said: “It’s time to move on” .