[cheers and applause] this is "nightline." >> by the way, whatever happened to hunter? >> the president wants to know where i am? i'm right here. >> the son of a former vice president stepping out of the shadow. the exclusive interview. >> do you think you're a distraction right now to your father's campaign? go you and your father ever discuss ukraine? >> opening up about addiction and loss. >> "nightline," hunter biden, the interview, will be right

back.

good evening. thank you for joining us. for hunter biden, life has been privileged but not a storybook. there's been a fierce battle with addiction. now sober with a new lease on love he finds himself at the center of a political firestorm involving the president of the

united states. here's amy robach with the exclusive interview. >> whatever happened to hunter, where the -- is he? >> hunter biden, the son of former vice president joe biden has found himself at the center of a political firestorm. >> where is hunter? where's hunter. >> where is hunter? >> where is hunter? >> he's right here. >> i'm here and i'm workin' and i'm livin' my life. >> president trump says you're in hiding. >> hiding in plain sight, i guess. yeah. no, not at all. not at all. >> look, biden and his son are stone cold crooked. >> the president has been on the rampage. accusing 49 year old biden of improperly profiting on business interests in ukraine while his father was the obama administration's point person in that country. all leading to that now infamous phone call in july. >> it's a very honorable call. a nice call. >> when president trump asked ukrainian president volodymyr zelenskiy to investigate the bidens. no evidence of wrongdoing has

been found against either one >> how did you react to learning that president trump called the ukrainian president in a phone call, asking him to investigate you and your father? >> i was like every other american, i was shocked. >> did you call your dad and say -- >> no. >> oh my gosh, can you believe this >> oh yeah, look, my dad and i talk all the time. we don't live in this, like, political bubble. i picked up the phone and the first thing he said to me is, you know, "maisy's lovin' her classes at," you know -- i said, "yeah, dad, i know," she's at penn now. and, like, we had that discussion before we -- >> first, before you talked about -- >> yeah. for real. and that's not a joke. it's not like anybody has to have any discussion beyond that. i'll let congress handle that. and i'll let you guys in the media handle that. and i'll let my dad's my campaign handle that. and the only thing that i'm lookin' to handle is to make certain that i get up every day and do the next right thing.

>> we're going to an event. here in the city, it's just always good being together. >> despite keeping a low profile, on friday hunter biden joined his father for the first time at a campaign event since he became embroiled in the president's potential impeachment. which is, uh, to meet with a bunch of hopefully young and influential people here in the city. by his side, his new wife melissa, whom he married a mere six days after meeting her less than six months ago. while his father spoke to the crowd, hunter kept a discrete distance. >> imagine how it would be if your dad had been in the senate or vice president your whole life. >> last night we were with you as you attended your father's campaign fundraiser here. >> yes.

>> back in may you were noticeably absent from your father's launch rally. going forward are you going to be a visible part offi your father's campaign? >> as much as i can. but the balance is, is this. my dad's going to talk about the things that really, really do matter to the american people, i don't want them talking about me. i don't want to be a distraction to what he wants to tell the american people right now. >> do you think you're a distraction to the campaign? >> no, me, personally, i'm never a distraction to my dad, but this is not a family business. my dad has a job, but that does not mean that i had ever, had any plans to go do rallies and you know u talk about donald trump's kids. and i never will. that's not what bidens do.

that's not my dad's nature. once you make it personal you basically go down the same rabbit hole that they're trying to go down. that's the distraction i don't want to be. so many things that the american people right now are so much more concerned about than whether or not hunter biden is going to show up with his dad at the state fair in iowa. >> when you're out and about with all this 24/7 coverage, do people come up to you? are you able to maintain your privacy >> yes. there are a lot more relevant people in l.a. than me. >> most people respect price va. >> hunter did want to address trump's allegations once and for all. no topic was offer the table. >> did you and your father ever discuss ukraine? >> no. the only time was after a news

account. there's no "but" to this. we never did. >> your dad said i hope you know what you're doing? >> and i said i do. and that was literally the end of our discussion. >> why? >> because my dad is the vice president of the united states. there's nothing as a young man or a full-grown adult that there's been a lot of misinformation, about me, not about my dad. nobody buys that, but this idea that i was unqualified to be on the board. >> what was your qualifications? >> i was on the board of amtrak. i was a lawyer. for one of the most administration lprestigious law firms. i was qualified to be on the

boa board. that's all i focussed on, basically turning an eastern european gas company into a western-standard company. >> you gave me the list of reasons why you're on that board. you did not list that you were the son of the vice president. >> no. of course. >> what role do you think that played? >> i think it's impossible to be on any of the boards that i mentioned without saying i'm the son of the vice president of the united states. >> you were paid $50,000 a month? >> i don't have to open my kimono. but it's all been reported. >> if your last name wasn't biden, do you think you would have been asked to be on the board of >> i don't know. >> do you regret being on the board? >> no, what i regret is not

taking into account that there would be a rudy giuliani and a president of the united states that would be listening to this ridiculous conspiracy idea. >> i think people at home are thinking how could that not have crossed your mind, it might not have caught in your gut, maybe this isn't a good idea to sit on the board of this ukrainian company? >> in retrospect. >> you never thought this might not look right? >> you know what? i'm a human. did i make a mistake? maybe in the grand scheme of things, yeah. but did i make a mistake based on some ethical lapse? absolutely not. >> so the mistake was giving your father's political foes ammunition? >> yeah. >> joe biden addressed his son's interview with us. >> he pointed out the reason why he regret it is is he didn't

anticipate that thugs like giuliani would use it to try to embarrass his father. and that's what they are, flat thugs. >> trump tweeting with a different take. reminds me of crooked hillary and her 33,000 e-mails. not recoverable. hunter has been at the receiving end of the talks >> maybe lock her up goes to lock him up. >> but maintains he is not taking the bait. >> they can say whatever the hell they want to say about me. >> lock him up? >> good for them. i don't spend a lot of time thinking about them. i really don't. they seem so irrelevant. >> you have no opinion about that? >> no. i have an opinion about shooting big game in africa. i don't really think about donald trump's kids that much. i mean, i really don't. they seem clownish to me, when i see them. look, it's all noise.

>> to hunter, the attacks are inconsequential, paling to a life with tragic events. at 2 years old his mother and sister dived in a car crash. >> this is the wife of joe biden of delaware, killed in a crash. a young girl also died in the accident. mrs. biden was 28 years old and the mother of three children. >> his father joe took his first oath of office at age 30 in the hospital room where his young sons were recovering. >> do you solemnly swear that you will support and defend the constitution of the united states? >> just say hello, my name is hunt biden. >> and nearly five years ago, beau tragically lost a battle with brain cancer. >> the first memory i have is of lying in a hospital bed next to

my brother, holding my hand, staring into my eyes, saying "i love you." "i love you." >> mired in grief, he entered a relationship with beau's widow afterwards telling us they came together at a time when no one else could understand the degree of pain they were going through. >> the worst thing could ever happen to me happened when breabeau died. i'm living my life. and i'm doing it in a way that i want to make my kids proud. i want to make my family proud. you know? there's things that matter. and i guess that's what i was trying to say. i thought i faced the thing i could never face. >> puts everything into perspective. >> puts everything into perspective. >> and now, having lost beau, he says he has a new protector in his wife, his wife. you'll hear from her for the first time when we come back.

and it'ly no"closoughr thing." meed-benz suvswerengeere with only one mission in mind.st. in the category, in the industry... in the world. at your local mercedes-benz dealer. mercedes-benz. the best or nothing. it's how we care for our patients- like job. his team at ctca treated his cancer and side effects. so job can stay strong for his family. cancer treatment centers of america. appointments available now. cancer treatment centers of america. struggling to clean tough messes with wipes? try mr. clean magic eraser sheets. just wet, squeeze and erase icky messes in microwaves and on stovetops for an amazing clean, get the power of mr. clean magic eraser in disposable sheets.

only roomba i7+ uses two multi-surface rubber brushes. ♪ and picks up more pet hair than other robot vacuums. and the filter captures 99% of dog and cat allergens. if it's not from irobot, it's not a roomba™. so, you bought those "good enough" paper towels? [daughter laughs] not such a bargain. there's only one quicker picker upper. bounty, the quicker picker upper. you have fast-acting power over pain, so the whole world looks different. the unbeatable strength and speed of advil liqui-gels. what pain? hendless shrimp even hotter?s you bring back nashville hot! oh yeah - it's back. crispy shrimp... ...tossed in a spicy rub... ...and drizzled with sweet amber honey. more shrimp more ways. endless shrimp's just fifteen ninety nine. hurry in.

it's game day live here a fan favorite venue ever since they got gig speed internet. xfinity gives them the ultimate home field advantage, it's their twelfth man, protector- hey, amy? want to grab a seat? julie. we're live. it's game on, with gig speed internet from xfinity. start him, sit him, trade him. simple, easy, awesome. check out gig-speed internet, or any of our other amazing speed options. get started now for as low as $29.99 a month for 12 months. click, call or visit a store today.

>> hunter biden, the son of vice president joe biden, has been no stranger to headlines over the years, his life often on public display on tabloids. but now he's opening the doors to a place never captured by a paparazzi's lens, his refuge, an art studio where he finds solace in painting. >> what's the -- what's the goal eventually? >> not -- no goal. that's the perfect part about it -- >> no, yeah. -- is just -- it literally keeps me sane. >> so you paint and then not watch the news right up there? or you watch the news while you paint? >> you know, luckily that -- i don't get -- the cable down

here. >> whatever happened to hunter? where the hell is he? >> you're on pretty much everyone's lips now, your name is. >> yeah. >> is it the first thing you think about when you wake up, the last thing you think about when you go to bed? >> no, it really isn't, and the reason is -- is because i know where i stand with my dad. i know where i stand with my family. >> has he been checkin' in on you and making sure you're okay? is he worried about you? >> no more than usual, although he knows that i got -- that -- that melissa's here now. so everything's in order. >> his new source of strength, his wife melissa cohen biden. >> things have not been easy externally. >> the 33-year old filmmaker from south africa, speaking publicly for the first time. >> they've been harder than most people could ever even imagine. >> but internally things have been amazing, and it's only

tested our bond, which could break bond or it could just solidify how strong the bond really is. >> what is the truth about hunter? >> he's creative and he's wonderful and caring and kind and honest and real. and he very much cares about his country and his family and his friends and his children. >> it was just may of this year when the couple first met, saying their "i do's" less than a week later in a moment captured by a friend on a cell phone, their love, etched in matching tattoos. >> what would you call these first few months of marriage to hunter with everything that's going on -- >> i would call it the -- the honeymoon phase. definitely. >> but their budding marriage quickly met the storm of presidential politics, accusations that hunter improperly profited from business interests in foreign countries while his father was vice president. there has been no evidence of wrongdoing. >> i think hunter biden is a disgrice.

>> this is gonna play out the way it's gonna play out, and the one thing we can do is remain in our truth and remain focused on doing the right -- the next right thing. >> so, you'd welcome an investigation because -- >> sure. why not? i mean, nothing's gonna change. i mean, i would probably -- i think it would probably be a waste of tax payer's money, but >> what should people know about hunter biden that they don't know? >> like every single person that i've ever known, i have fallen and i've gotten up. i've done esteemable things and things that are -- have been in my life that i -- that -- that i regret. every single one of those things has brought me exactly to where i am right now, which is probably the best place i've ever been in my life. i've gone through my own struggles. >> in and out of rehab seven, eight times. >> say -- it nicer to me. sought treatment-- >> sought treatment -- >> -- for issue -- like most people. >> -- sought treatment for substance abuse issues -- >> yeah, so insensitive -- >> -- seven or eight times. i'm so sorry. but i won -- like, i'm -- i think this is a human question. do you worry -- >> no, but for real, let me say something.

>> do you worry that all of this noise, even though it's just noise -- >> no, i don't worry -- >> -- it still -- that it could affect your sobriety? >> of course. look, you don't wanna live in the worry of it because then you're feedin' the beast. i have no answer other than this, you gotta live in the connections that you have to healthy things, and i have so many of them. and i gotta live there instead of living i fear like, "oh my god. the stress is gonna make me drink," or "the stress is gonna make me use." >> are you worried about him at all going through something like this with so much public pressure? >> no. he's incredibly strong. there's so much negativity in the world, and there's so many, many, many important things to focus on. so many things that the american people, and people around the world, today are dealing with that are so much bigger than this. real things. that's where i would like to focus. >> president trump likely will see or at least read about this interview. anything you'd like him to hear from you? >> no, no. i mean, really, no.

it's really hard for me to say anything snarky right now or combative because i was raised to respect that office. it's making me emotional. >> my wife, who is -- was south african, is an american citizen now --became -- got her citizenship. and we went to that, you know, the service where they swear everybody in. and i cried the whole time, and -- and less about my wife becoming a -- than watching -- the pride with which people -- i don't know why it-- it's makin' me emotional. >> why do you think you're getting emotional? >> because well, because i -- i'm really proud of being an american.

? ded to mucinex. we still have 12 hours to australia. only mucinex has a patented tablet that lasts 3x longer, for 12 hours. breathe freely fast, with vicks sinex. my congestion's gone. i can breathe again! ahhhh! i can breathe again! ughh! vicks sinex. breathe on. and grew it tony $36 billion dollars.986 in 2010, i signed the giving pledge to fund good causes. then i left my business to combat climate change,

fix our democracy, and hold president trump accountable. last year, we ran the largest youth voter mobilization in history - helping double turnout and win back the house. i'm tom steyer and i approve this message. let's make change happen! ...depend® silhouette™ briefs feature maximum absorbency, with trusted protection for all out confidence... beautiful colors and an improved fit for a sleek design and personal style. life's better when you're in it. be there with depend®. red lobster's endless shrimp is back for just fifteen nin rethlany you nt 'em.s shrimp is back like new sriracha-honey shrimp... ...savory grilled teriyaki shrimp,... ...classic shrimp scampi and more! red lobster's endless shrimp is fifteen ninety nine. hurry in. so you don't have to stash antacids here....tc and take control of heartburn. here... or here. kick your antacid habit with prilosec otc.

one pill a day, 24 hours, zero heartburn. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ blow a kiss into the sun ♪ we need someone to lean on ♪ blow a kiss into the sun ♪ all we need is somebody to lean on ♪ ♪ ♪ they give us excellent customer otservice, every time.e.

our 18 year old was in an accident. usaa took care of her car rental, and getting her car towed. all i had to take care of was making sure that my daughter was ok. if i met another veteran, and they were with another insurance company, i would tell them, you need to join usaa because they have better rates, and better service. we're the gomez family... we're the rivera family... we're the kirby family, and we are usaa members for life. get your auto insurance quote today.

>> how do you think this will all play out in the history books?

i hope that -- that the history isn't fully written yet. i hope that -- that a lotta people that -- that have a chance at redemption here stand up for what is right. and i hope that i keep and continue to -- to basically do the best i can. but right now, i feel very confident bein' the son of, and the husband to and the -- the brother to the people in my life that i think have served this country with incredible respect and -- and dignity and honor. >> our thanks to amy. and that's "nightline." remember, can you always catch our full episodes on hulu. thanks for the company, america,