The president of the United States, Joe Biden, has publicly recognized this Friday for the first time his seventh grandchild, a 4-year-old girl fathered by his son Hunter with a woman from Arkansas, Lunden Roberts, in 2018, thus breaking a long silence on the "family matter".
"Our son Hunter and Navy's mother, Lunden, are working together to foster a relationship that is in the best interest of their daughter, while preserving her privacy as much as possible moving forward," Biden said in a statement. It was her first recognition of her child.
"This is not a political issue, it is a family issue," he added. "Jill and I only want the best for all of our grandchildren, including Navy."
Hunter Biden's paternity was established through DNA testing after Roberts filed a child support lawsuit, which the two parties recently settled.
The president's son wrote about his encounter with Roberts in his 2021 memoir, claiming it occurred when he was deeply addicted to alcohol and drugs, including crack. "I didn't remember anything about our meeting," he wrote. "That's how little connection I had with people. It was a disaster, but a disaster for which I have taken responsibility."
The president, who has made commitment to family a central element of his public image, has faced mounting criticism from political rivals and pundits for failing to acknowledge the granddaughter. According to a person familiar with the matter, he was following her son's lead as the court proceedings unfolded. The person spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private matters.
Hunter Biden has four other children, including a son, Beau, born to his wife Melissa Cohen in 2020. He was named after the president's late son who died of cancer in 2015.
Biden's grandchildren have played a distinctive role in his presidency, often accompanying the president or first lady on trips and making regular visits to the White House. The president has also credited her grandchildren with convincing him to challenge then-President Donald Trump for the White House in 2020.
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