Biden’s refusal to recognize Hunter daughter questioned at WH briefing
WASHINGTON — President Biden’s failure to acknowledge his seventh grandchild — who was born out of wedlock — emerged at a White House press briefing Tuesday after first son Hunter Biden appeared in court Monday trying to reduce child support payments to 4-year-old Navy Joan Roberts.
“I wanted to ask about the trial going on in Arkansas with Hunter Biden and the child support,” the Daily Mail’s Emily Goodin said.
“Are the president and first lady monitoring that and how come they haven’t acknowledged the seventh grandchild?”
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre quickly shut down the line of questioning, saying: “I’m not gonna speak to that from here.”
Veteran journalist James Rosen of Newsmax tried to follow up by shouting, “Why not?” but Jean-Pierre ignored the question and called on a different reporter.
Biden, 80, has consistently snubbed his granddaughter, who turns five on Nov. 29, while doting on his other grandchildren — including Beau, Hunter’s 3-year-old son by second wife Melissa Cohen.
The president’s six other grandchildren were born within wedlock and each year their names are written on Christmas stockings displayed on a White House mantle — with Roberts omitted from the lineup.
Last week, Joe Biden told a youngster on the White House lawn for a “take your child to work day” event that he has just six grandchildren.
“I have six grandchildren. And I’m crazy about them. And I speak to them every single day. Not a joke,” the president said.
“Matter of fact, I just got finished going through the calls. And only one of them answered the phone.
“But at least I got to leave a message.”
Biden gave brief biographies of his six other grandchildren, then told his elementary school-aged audience, “They’re crazy about me because I pay so much attention to them.”
Navy Roberts, by contrast, reportedly has received very little love from her paternal relatives since Hunter Biden acknowledged her as his own in response to a paternity suit from former stripper Lunden Roberts, now 32.
The first son initially agreed to pay $20,000 per month in child support, but he is now seeking to reduce the amount — potentially opening his family to an airing of their murky international business dealings and art sales.
Hunter Biden is also fighting Roberts’ effort to change their daughter’s surname to Biden, arguing in a January court filing that it would deny her a “peaceful existence.”
Roberts argues it the name change could be a boon for the toddler because the Biden family is “now synonymous with being well educated, successful, financially acute and politically powerful.”
It’s unclear why President Biden hasn’t acknowledged or met Navy Roberts, though his son also reportedly has never met her.
American society historically shamed children born to unmarried parents, but public acceptance has grown over time.
Gallup polling found that in 2002, 50% of Americans thought it was morally wrong to have a child out of wedlock and 45% thought it was morally acceptable.
Disapproval dropped since then — with just 35% viewing such births as immoral and 61% finding them acceptable as of 2015, the most recent year in which the question was asked.
Roughly 40% of American babies have been born out of wedlock in recent years, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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