"Joe Biden's got — needs therapy," said Todd. "And I say this with respect. He has not processed Beau's death. He has an issue. He cannot — he has this issue with Hunter. He second-guesses everything he's done —"
"Raising him," interjects Cillizza.
"Raising Hunter," agreed Todd. "Raising Beau. He, I think, blames himself for Hunter's inability to conduct himself as an adult for a period of time. I think he's better now."
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Todd said he knew both Beau and Hunter, and that it was "fair to say" that Hunter "failed at being a human being" in the 2010s.
"Failed at adulting for a variety of reasons," said Todd, adding there was "no doubt" that Joe Biden would do "everything he could" to protect Hunter. "Pure and simple. It's a dad reaction."
Todd added that Joe Biden couldn't face the potential "humiliation" of having President-elect Donald Trump pardon Hunter.
"I understand the decision as a father," said Todd. "I understand the decision personally."
Even so, Todd said Biden's decision will be weaponized by MAGA allies who will say he was "emotionally incapable of being president of the United States and probably never should have run." Todd said he "lost it" with Biden after reading transcripts of the Hunter Biden trial.
"You want to get angry? Just as a — somebody — with all these mixed emotions? You read the Hallie Biden transcript. And that's Beau's widow. Essentially he turned her into a crack addict," said Todd.
Joe and Jill Biden were "so concerned about their family," Todd added, "that they decided to run for president. I — so when you talk about the word selfish — it's almost like the word doesn't — their decision to run for president put the entire Democratic Party and the United States of America in the position that it's in now."
MAGA supporters predictably seized on Todd's comments, with Charlie Kirk — a key member of Trump's inner circle and campaign — saying the NBC host "suddenly grows a conscience and gets angry at Joe and Jill Biden for selfishly running for President while Hunter was busy turning Beau's widow, Hallie, into a crack addict."
"Where was the outrage a few years ago, Chuck?" asked Kirk on X.
Kevin Smith, founder of The Loud Majority show on Rumble, echoed Kirk's sentiments.
"Chuck Todd has suddenly come to the conclusion that Joe Biden is the Most Selfish man in America, a terrible father, and an awful President," he wrote on X.
Todd's comments also outraged the left.
"My god it's @chucktodd and @ChrisCillizza - the Ruth and Gehrig of Trump Sanewashing - blaming Biden for the political crisis that NBC/CNN/et al fed and nurtured and these two brainless fools polished," former MSNBC and SportsCenter host Keith Olbermann wrote on X.
Democratic strategists Chris D. Jackson and Eric Ortner also slammed Todd.
"These are wholly inappropriate comments from @chucktodd. What the hell is wrong with you man?" asked Jackson on X.
He added in a separate post: "@NBCNews do you approve of such vile, personal comments from one of your jouanlists? (sic)"
Ortner replied: "I’ll take the over that Chuck came out on the bad side of the cuts at NBC and is taking advice from his reps on how to dip into the right wing honey pot X. Sad."
In another post, Ortnor pointed to Todd's remarks on Hunter Biden, saying: "Here’s some more dumb s--- Chuck said… (add it to the long list). The message feels commercially driven among other things."
Watch part of Todd's comments below or at this link.
