US President Joe Biden has been criticized by conservatives after his aides were told to publicly say he only had six grandchildren and omitted Hunter Biden's four-year-old estranged daughter Navy Joan Roberts.
The younger Biden settled his child support case in Arkansas last week after a years-long paternity dispute over Navy Joan and her mother, Lunden Roberts. Both the president and the first lady, Dr. Jill Biden, refused to acknowledge Navy Joan as their seventh grandchild.
Hunter agreed in a court filing Thursday (June 29) to give Navy Joan some of his paintings in order for Roberts to withdraw her counterclaim to change their last child's name to "Biden."
The New York Times reported Saturday (July 1) saying the family dispute was rooted in "money, corrosive politics, and what it means to have the Biden birthright."
Two people familiar with the discussions told the Times that White House aides were told during strategy meetings to not mention Navy Joan as the seventh Biden grandchild. The discussion came as the president listed only six grandchildren by name during a "take your child to work day" event at the White House.
"I have six grandchildren, and I'm crazy about them," he said at the time. "And I speak to them every single day. Not a joke."
Bidens Hunted by Conservatives for Disinheriting Navy Joan
As the 2024 election draws near, the president has openly embraced Hunter and his son Beau during his retreat at Camp David.
Last month, the Justice Department announced Hunter entered a plea agreement regarding two tax violations and a felony gun charge, which allowed him to escape jail time. There are also speculations about Hunter's foreign business dealings.
Conservatives on Twitter called the Bidens allegedly shunning Navy Joan as "gross" and "sad."
"[The First Couple] are two of the scummiest people to have ever disgraced American politics," wrote Jacob K. Schneider.
"Set aside politics and put yourself in the shoes of this [four-year-old]," added economist Timur Kuran. "No one should do this to a child."
Washington Post foreign and domestic policy columnist Marc Thiessen added that the president not having a relationship with Navy Joan was "an absolute disgrace," while CNN political commentator Scott Jennings called the Bidens "monsters."
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