President Donald Trump suggested in a recent interview that former President Joe Biden or his son, Hunter Biden, might have left behind the infamous bag of cocaine discovered at the White House in 2023.
In an interview with The Spectator’s Ben Domenech on February 27, Trump stated, “Well, either Joe or Hunter. Could be Joe, too.”
Discovery and investigation
According to Reuters, the bag of cocaine was found on July 2, 2023, in a storage locker near the entrance to the White House‘s West Wing.
The Secret Service discovered the small bag and launched an investigation, which ultimately turned up inconclusive for a suspect.
Trump commented on the discovery, noting that the lockers typically contain numerous fingerprints but that the locker with the cocaine “was wiped out with the strongest form of alcohol.”
Biden family’s whereabouts and response
At the time of the discovery, the Biden family, including Joe and Hunter Biden, were staying at the presidential retreat Camp David in Maryland.
Hunter Biden has a well-documented history of substance abuse, detailed in his 2021 memoir “Beautiful Things,” but has been sober since 2019 according to sworn testimony in federal court in 2023.
Former White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre emphasised that the Biden family was not at the White House when the cocaine was found, stating, “They were not here. They were at Camp David.”
Secret service investigation closure
Shortly after discovering the cocaine, the Secret Service announced it had closed its investigation, unable to determine a suspect.
The agency stated, “There was no surveillance video footage found that provided investigative leads or any other means for investigators to identify who may have deposited the found substance in this area.”
