March 1, 2025 | Washington, D.C. – President Donald Trump has reignited a dormant controversy from the Biden administration, asserting in a Saturday statement that “either Joe or Hunter” Biden was responsible for a small bag of cocaine found in the White House in July 2023. Speaking to The Spectator World’s Ben Domenech in an interview published Friday, Trump vowed to launch a new investigation into the incident, claiming that “bad stuff happened” and suggesting a cover-up thwarted the original probe. The remarks, made just weeks into his second term, underscore Trump’s intent to revisit unresolved scandals from his predecessor’s tenure, even as the initial investigation closed without identifying a culprit.
The 2023 Incident: A Mystery Unraveled
The saga began on July 2, 2023, when U.S. Secret Service agents discovered a small plastic baggie containing less than a gram of cocaine in a locker near the West Wing’s public entrance, an area used by visitors to store personal items during tours. The find prompted a brief evacuation of the White House and an 11-day investigation by the Secret Service, which ultimately ended without naming a suspect. At the time, President Joe Biden and his family—including son Hunter—were at Camp David, Maryland, celebrating the July 4 holiday, a fact that did little to quell speculation from Republican critics.
The Secret Service’s probe relied on visitor logs, security footage, and forensic analysis by the FBI, which tested the baggie for fingerprints and DNA. Official statements later revealed no usable fingerprints were found, though reports from Real Clear Politics in 2024—cited again in today’s Daily Mail coverage—claimed the FBI detected “some DNA material” yielding a “partial hit” in national databases, suggesting a familial match to an unknown individual. Despite this, the agency concluded that with over 500 potential suspects—staff, tourists, and visitors—passing through the area, and no direct camera coverage of the lockers, the case was unresolvable. The evidence was destroyed shortly after, a move that fueled accusations of mishandling.
Trump’s Allegations: A Personal Crusade
Trump’s latest comments, delivered in his characteristically unfiltered style, cast the incident as a personal affront and a symbol of Biden-era dysfunction. “That was such a terrible thing because, you know, those bins are very loaded up with… and they’re not clean and they have hundreds and even thousands of fingerprints,” he told Domenech, alleging the locker was “absolutely stone cold, wiped dry” when examined. “By the way, and I have to tell you, I think I’m going to look into that because… bad stuff happened there,” he added, hinting at a conspiracy without elaborating specifics.
The president’s focus on Joe and Hunter Biden aligns with his long-standing narrative of the “Biden crime family,” a trope he’s wielded since his 2020 campaign. Hunter Biden’s documented struggles with substance abuse, detailed in his 2021 memoir Beautiful Things—where he admitted to an “hourly need for crack cocaine” before sobriety in 2019—provide Trump with a convenient target. Though no evidence links Hunter or Joe Biden to the cocaine (both were absent from the White House during the discovery weekend), Trump’s rhetoric dismisses such details, framing the incident as emblematic of their alleged corruption.
A Stalled Probe and Congressional Frustration
The original investigation’s abrupt closure in July 2023 drew scrutiny from congressional Republicans, notably House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-KY). In his new book, All the President’s Money: Investigating the Secret Foreign Schemes that Made the Biden Family Rich, released in February 2025, Comer claimed he was forced to abandon a parallel House probe due to Secret Service interference. “I had to abandon the probe I led into the cocaine I found at the Biden White House because the Secret Service destroyed the little plastic bag that contained the cocaine a few days after it was discovered,” he wrote, adding that security tapes “amazingly” omitted the locker area. Comer’s assertions, echoed in Trump’s vow, suggest a belief that evidence was deliberately suppressed.
Reports of DNA findings further complicate the narrative. Sources cited by Real Clear Politics alleged that then-Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle, or someone acting on her behalf, ordered the baggie’s destruction despite protocol requiring evidence retention for up to seven years. The Secret Service has not confirmed these claims, and Cheatle, who resigned in July 2024 amid unrelated security controversies, has not commented publicly since.
Political Context: Trump’s Second-Term Agenda
Trump’s pledge to reopen the case arrives amid a tumultuous start to his second presidency. Since his January 20, 2025, inauguration, he has prioritized dismantling what he calls the “deep state,” with initiatives like the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), co-led by Elon Musk, aiming to slash federal budgets and personnel. The cocaine probe fits neatly into this narrative, offering a high-profile target to rally his base while casting doubt on the Biden administration’s integrity.
The timing also aligns with Trump’s broader feud with the Biden family. Hunter Biden’s December 2024 pardon by his father for tax and gun-related convictions—issued just before Joe Biden left office—remains a sore point for Trump, who has called it proof of favoritism. Reopening the cocaine case could serve as both political retribution and a distraction from DOGE’s own controversies, including legal battles over mass firings and Musk’s reported March 1 call for U.S. withdrawal from NATO and the UN.
Reactions and Implications
As of 10:57 PM PST on March 1, reactions are pouring in. On X, Trump supporters like @VTount hailed the move, posting, “Finally, some accountability for the Bidens!” Critics, meanwhile, decried it as a distraction, with @QuentinDempster warning, “This is just Trump stirring the pot—there’s no evidence, just noise.” The White House, now under Trump’s control, has not issued an official statement, nor has Biden’s team responded—though former aides have previously dismissed such claims as “irresponsible conjecture.”
If Trump follows through, the investigation could strain federal resources already stretched by DOGE’s cuts. Legal experts question its feasibility: without the original evidence, any probe would rely on re-interviewing hundreds of 2023 visitors or uncovering suppressed records—a long shot, given the Secret Service’s prior stance. Politically, it risks reigniting partisan rancor, potentially overshadowing Trump’s policy goals as midterms approach in 2026.
What’s Next?
Details of Trump’s promised investigation remain vague—whether it will involve the FBI, a special counsel, or DOGE itself is unclear. The Justice Department, now led by Trump appointee Kash Patel (confirmed February 25, 2025), could spearhead it, though Patel’s focus on reversing prior DOJ actions against Trump may delay action. Congressional allies like Comer are likely to push for hearings, leveraging their House majority.
For now, the cocaine mystery remains just that—a mystery—elevated by Trump’s insistence into a second-term flashpoint. Whether it yields answers or merely amplifies division, it’s a stark reminder of his knack for keeping old grievances alive. As the clock ticks past midnight into March 2, 2025, the nation braces for another chapter in Trump’s relentless pursuit of his rivals.
