Monday, July 8

Hunter Biden’s addiction shocked his family. Has your family had similar problems?

Hunter Biden, the president’s son, is on trial in federal court for falsely claiming in a gun application that he had not used illicit drugs. Testimonies from his ex-wife and his ex-girlfriends describe his drug-fueled character; look for his dealer on the streets; his large cash withdrawals from the bank.

Hallie Biden, his brother Beau’s widow who was dating him in the fall of 2018 when the gun purchase occurred, spoke of his erratic behavior, possession of rocks of crack and cocaine “the size of ping-pong balls, or bigger, maybe” and how she frantically urged him to go to rehab. She, like Mr. Biden, is in recovery.

I write about addiction for the New York Times and have spoken to countless families who have shared harrowing experiences. I’m working on an article about how the Bidens’ addiction saga impacts families who are also grappling with America’s deadly addiction crisis.