Hunter Biden defended Maine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner during an appearance on Governor Gavin Newsom's podcast on June 11, 2026 [2].

The appearance marks a high-profile intervention in a contentious Senate race, as Biden used his platform to shield a candidate facing serious character allegations.

During the episode, Biden addressed allegations involving a sexting scandal and a Nazi tattoo associated with Platner [1, 3]. He said that Platner's overall appeal would outweigh these scandals [1]. As part of this defense, Biden urged transparency and used the phrase “Show me your phone” to suggest openness regarding the controversy [3].

Biden positioned himself against those who had previously told Platner's story, framing the defense as an empathetic response to public scrutiny [1, 3]. The discussion occurred while Biden marked seven years of sobriety [5].

Newsom, the governor of California, hosted the conversation on his online podcast [1, 2]. The episode aired on June 11, 2026 [2], and received subsequent reporting from various outlets on June 12, 2026 [4].

Platner remains a candidate for the U.S. Senate in Maine. The defense from the president's son comes at a time when the campaign has been under pressure to address the specific nature of the tattoo, and the details of the sexting allegations [1, 3].

““Show me your phone.””

This intervention represents a strategic attempt to neutralize damaging personal scandals for a Democratic candidate by associating him with a figure who has also survived intense public and legal scrutiny. By advocating for transparency through the 'show me your phone' rhetoric, Hunter Biden is attempting to pivot the narrative from the content of the allegations to the candidate's willingness to be open.