Gavin Newsom just teased Hunter Biden as a "presidential candidate" on his podcast, and if you think that sounds like a joke, congratulations — you still have a functioning brain. The California Governor dropped a promo clip on June 11, 2026 for his show "This Is Gavin Newsom" featuring the words "Presidential candidate Hunter Biden," and the internet did exactly what you'd expect.

Because nothing says "leader of the free world" like a guy who was convicted in 2024 for making false statements on a federal firearm purchase form and faced federal tax allegations before Daddy swooped in with a presidential pardon.

Let's back up. Hunter Biden appeared on Newsom's podcast and apparently the two had quite the little exchange. When Newsom floated the idea, Hunter reportedly quipped, "Here's the deal. I'll run, but only as your VP." He even joked that the vice president's residence "is a lot cooler" than the White House. Hilarious stuff from a man whose legal troubles would've landed any Republican in a cell with no WiFi.

Hunter also leaned into the moment with the kind of self-awareness that only a Biden could confuse with humility. "They gave me a stage, and I'm going to use it," he said. Yeah, Hunter. We noticed. The stage used to be a courtroom.

Now, is this an actual 2028 presidential campaign teaser? Probably not. Even Democrats aren't that far gone. But the fact that Newsom — a man who absolutely sees himself as the future of the Democratic Party — is platforming Hunter Biden as anything other than a cautionary tale tells you everything about where the left is headed.

Newsom told Politico his podcast motivation was pure self-improvement: "I'm doing this selfishly because I want to learn. I want to get better in life, not just politics. And if I'm better in life, I'll be better in politics." Deep stuff, Gavin. Real TED Talk energy. Maybe start by learning that convicted felons who got pardoned by their own fathers aren't exactly the poster boys for political redemption.

Hunter, to his credit, has reportedly been sober for seven years. Good for him. Sincerely. Sobriety is hard and that's no joke. But sobriety doesn't erase a federal conviction, and a pardon doesn't erase the public record. It just means your dad had the nuclear codes and a pen.

The podcast clip also had Hunter playing the "standards" card. "If that's the standard by which we are going to judge people, particularly people in elected office," he mused, apparently unaware that lying on a federal firearms form is, in fact, a pretty solid standard by which to judge someone.

Meanwhile, the same Democratic Party that spent years trying to throw President Trump in prison for everything from phone calls to paperwork is now casually floating Hunter Biden — a man saved from sentencing only by the most brazen presidential pardon in modern history — as some kind of political figure worth taking seriously.

This is the party that lectures us about "democracy" and "accountability" and "no one is above the law." Unless your last name is Biden. Then you get a podcast tour and a wink-wink presidential campaign tease from the Governor of California.

As LifeZette reported, Newsom's podcast has been positioning him as a national Democratic voice. Adding Hunter to the guest list isn't an accident. It's a signal. The Bidens aren't going away. They're being rehabilitated in real time, right in front of our faces, and we're supposed to clap.

Don't clap.