President Joe Biden finds himself in the midst of conservative backlash after reports emerged that his aides have been instructed to publicly state that he only has six grandchildren, purposely excluding Hunter Biden’s estranged 4-year-old daughter from the count. The revelation comes following the resolution of a long-standing paternity dispute involving Hunter Biden in Arkansas.
According to court documents filed last week, Hunter Biden reached a settlement in his child support case, finally putting an end to the protracted legal battle over his 4-year-old daughter, whose acknowledgment as their seventh grandchild the president and first lady, Jill Biden, have refused. As part of the agreement, Hunter agreed to give his daughter some of his paintings, while the child’s mother, Lunden Alexis Roberts, withdrew her counterclaim to change their child’s last name to “Biden.”
In a recent report by The New York Times, the family dispute was painted as a multifaceted issue involving financial matters, corrosive politics, and the significance of the Biden name. The Times also revealed that White House aides have been instructed during strategy meetings to refer to the president and first lady as having six grandchildren, deliberately leaving out their 4-year-old granddaughter.
Critics have pointed to past instances where President Biden has referenced his grandchildren, such as during a “take your child to work day” event at the White House, where he explicitly mentioned having six grandchildren. Additionally, Biden has consistently hung Christmas stockings for only six grandchildren, seemingly disregarding his seventh grandchild from the annual tradition.
BIDEN: “I have six grandchildren…”
Unmentioned: Hunter’s 4-year-old daughter, who the Bidens refuse to acknowledge pic.twitter.com/XRrgPollou
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) April 27, 2023
However, as President Biden gears up for a potential re-election bid in 2024 and amid mounting scrutiny of Hunter Biden’s foreign business dealings, there appears to be a concerted effort to showcase a more public embrace of his son and grandson. The president has recently brought Hunter and his grandson Beau to Camp David for two consecutive weekends.
Last month, the Justice Department announced that Hunter Biden had reached a plea agreement related to two tax violations and a felony gun charge, which is expected to spare him from imprisonment.
Conservatives on social media platforms, particularly Twitter, have criticized the Bidens for reportedly shunning their granddaughter, deeming the situation “gross” and “sad.”
These people are monsters https://t.co/3ldajPUAJR pic.twitter.com/9NBkHa8Jc6
— Scott Jennings (@ScottJenningsKY) July 1, 2023
Joe Biden “has not yet met or publicly mentioned his other grandchild. His White House has not answered questions about whether he will publicly acknowledge her”
“[A]ides have been told that the Bidens have six, not seven, grandchildren”
So sad. https://t.co/4z7BUCw6H3
— Chad Gilmartin (@ChadGilmartinCA) July 2, 2023
