NEW YORK (AP) — The former first lady expressed regret Tuesday that she remained largely silent about Hunter’s battle with drug addiction during her White House years, acknowledging that discussing substance abuse struggles openly could provide hope to families facing similar circumstances.
During an extensive conversation with “The View” co-host Whoopi Goldberg while promoting her White House memoir, the former first lady shared Tuesday that former President Joe Biden’s prostate cancer diagnosis has helped her gain new perspective on life.
She revealed she no longer harbors resentment toward Democrats who pushed her husband to abandon his reelection campaign following his poor performance in a 2024 debate against Republican Donald Trump.
“No, I’m not angry. I mean, what’s the purpose of anger now?” the former first lady stated during the initial event for her book, which launched Tuesday at the 92nd Street Y in New York.
In her memoir titled “View from the East Wing,” she revealed that addiction remained a topic she and her husband avoided discussing. “I think we were partly in denial,” she admitted, expressing confusion about why someone with a loving family, quality education and successful career would resort to drugs.
“It’s hard for me to say this, but Hunter was a drug addict,” she stated Tuesday.
She described Hunter’s descent into addiction as “a really hard time for our family to go through.” Hunter began struggling with alcohol and drugs following his older brother Beau’s death in 2015 from an aggressive brain cancer. She noted that Hunter has maintained sobriety for several years now.
“I’m sorry that I didn’t talk about it a little bit more,” she said during the event.
The former first lady spoke about her pride in Hunter’s transformation, highlighting his work as an artist and his efforts to support other people in recovery.
“And I hope that by talking about it more as I go forward I hope that it offers other people hope,” she explained. “It is such a tough, tough thing to deal with.”
Hunter published his own memoir about his struggles with drugs and alcohol in 2021.
His addiction resulted in federal charges for lying about drug use on gun purchase forms. Following his conviction and potential prison sentence, he ultimately received a pardon from his father, who had previously insisted he wouldn’t use presidential powers to help his son before changing course just before leaving office to Trump.
The former first lady previously acknowledged anger over how the Democratic Party handled her husband after the debate, but has moved past those feelings since Joe Biden received a diagnosis a year ago of aggressive prostate cancer that has metastasized to his bones.
“I think Joe’s cancer diagnosis, it really puts life into perspective and you really do appreciate each and every day and a lot of anger that you have, you think, ‘What’s the point?’ You know, ‘What is the point?’ she said. “And I think that’s why Joe and I try to, you know, just take each day that comes and try to find the joys.”
The 83-year-old former president attended the event alongside numerous Biden family members, receiving multiple standing ovations from the capacity crowd.
She said when medical professionals informed them that her husband of nearly five decades had a health issue, “I never ever thought it was going to be prostate cancer.” While avoiding specifics, she indicated the former president’s treatment and medications are creating difficulties for him.
The medications and treatments have “consequences,” she noted, “and I think those consequences are pretty tough.”
She recalled cherished White House moments, including Camp David weekends and collaborating with military families.
She identified the most challenging aspect of serving as first lady as the complete loss of personal privacy.
“You really do live in a fishbool,” she explained. “Everybody knows everywhere you are. It’s the truth. I couldn’t even walk downstairs to my office.”
She demonstrated how U.S. Secret Service officers would communicate through their devices while tracking her movements throughout the White House, using her assigned code name.
“‘Capri on elevator. Capri walking down hallway. Capri walking up steps. Capri walking outside,’” she recounted to audience laughter. She also mentioned the intense scrutiny of her fashion choices, including media coverage of a Washington appearance where she wore her hair in a ponytail secured with a scrunchie.
“I wore a scrunchie and they wrote about it,” she said. “Who cares?”
