I think they left the Obama girls and Barron Trump alone, for the most part. Maybe it is the age, especially of a minor child that bothers me with the actions of the players and the fact it is a story.
You nailed it! In the legal agreement setting up financial support from Hunter, he agreed that neither he nor any family member would have any contact. That this is even out there is because of the MAGAscum.
I have enthusiastically read your columns, and watched your videos for years...and obviously I am a subscriber to your Substack. But today, it is YOUR story that is sticking in my craw. I am a chaplain and counselor, and I journey with others through the overwhelming labyrinth of complicated family problems that people bring to their sessions. My mother had a saying, "When your children are small, they have small problems. When your children get big, they have big problems." Hunter Biden is a big kid with big problems.
Your boys are young, and you seem to enjoy a great relationship with them, and I am happy for you. You seem to be a devoted, loving Dad and I am happy for them. But as your sons grow up, as sure as the day is long, big kids have big problems and there will be incidents that you just can't fix. Oh, you will try. (I'm a Mom of two grown children, and I know.) In addition, there will be situations that you simply need to stay out of, if you wish to maintain any sort of a relationship with your boys.
I could say more (a lot more) concerning children who are born out of wedlock, but I won't. Can we simply agree that it is a heartbreaking dilemma that lasts for a lifetime, and that there is no easy response to the matter?
I have great respect for the New York Times (I subscribe to it and read it every day), but this story of Hunter Biden's unacknowledged daughter needn't have seen the light. It was a poor judgment call, because outsiders of the family never know the full story. As in, never.
I have great respect for you as well, Chris, but it was a poor judgment call for you to write about this situation...and may you never have to face a similar ordeal. This familial entanglement goes way beyond Grandpa Joe and this little 4-yr-old girl. This involves deep family pain and suffering that goes beyond words...in fact, there are no words to describe it. I'm giving the Bidens a whole lot of slack here. It's the compassionate thing to do. I recommend you do the same.
I think Chris was writing this post from no other perspective than as a Dad and hopefully someday as a Granddad. That’s how I took it. Now I agree with him so that might be why my perspective is different than yours. But I liked hearing his unbiased take on what unfortunately has become a bigger story than it should or needs to be.
Heartache within the family does not belong to a particular party...it is universal... regardless of political preference, family problems occur. Some of them are beyond repair. Can we offer such cases some much-needed space?
Given that the mother of the child is cooperating with Trump adjacent attorneys, I have to assume she is hostile to the Bidens.
Also, if Joe Biden publicly comments on the child it would ignite a firestorm in the media, especially with the Fox News, Newsmax crowd. Would that be good for the child? To be used as a prop in a political smear campaign?
Fair enough. I guess I would say that Biden doesn't have to reach out to her in some sort of public way. He could do so privately. But from all the reporting he has done none of that.
Biden does not really need to reach out to her privately because then Trump's lawyer (who is now representing her)would twist and leak the information to the MAGa press and this will distract from the laudable achievements of Biden's administration.
Why cast aspersions onto President Biden? Why assume anything? And the deal between the biological parents was made, President Biden was not a party to that. It’s not for him to reach around this binding legal agreement and be a grandfather to a child that the biological parents agreed between them would not have the father acknowledged to the child. People are free to disagree with the details of the decision, but it IS a legally binding decision. The number of children acknowledged publicly as grandchildren event happened around the same time as the legal case was resolved , which again President Biden was not party to.
I think you’re inappropriately casting aspersions. I thought so then, I definitely think so now.
As I understand it, from researching this story myself, the final agreement between Hunter and the girl's mother is that neither he nor any member of his family will have any contact with the mother and daughter. That this story is even out there now is because of the shitheaded MAGAts who have no shame.
Just keep ignoring that they PRETEND she doesn't exist? Why spin the story into being about contact? It's not, never was. It's about "the big guy" pretending she's not even out there.
I agree with this but how do we know he hasn’t met the little girl privately? Given that Joe Biden seems like such a family man I have to give him the benefit of the doubt that he has his reasons for not doing this in public. Personally I think the attacks on Hunter Biden and his life have been excessive. Maybe the President doesn’t want to further exploit the little girl. 🤷🏽♀️
Obviously, to you. But what about to the nation at this time of radical crazy?
So, will this be sticking you craw still when the Secessionist-in-Chief is nominated by his party as presidential candidate bringing our country to the brink of electing an authoritarian, who has already laid out his game plan for upending the Republic...will you write:
While Trump is all that, and more, which could bring the international world as we know it to unknown possibilities...
...let me be fair and balanced and note that it sticks in my craw that Joe Biden doesn't acknowledge an out-of-wedlock granddaughter, and that he has had not one, but two German Shepard pets who have bit visitors to the White House.
Maybe my craw might expect Gym Jordan and his Band of (fill in the blank) look into Shepherd-gate.
Chris we know it's your Newsletter and we subscribe to it because we like what you write. But it should be a two way street because you can't always be right. Nobody is always right. I strongly suggest that you read and digest what Joy and Christopher Wood have written. As the Father of two young Kidsl myself,I completely see and understand what they are saying in their comments. I hope you do too Chris
So disappointed that you have given so much space to a very private story. I’m sure there are lots of situations out there that are very similar but this is not the place to air them. I usually enjoy your posts but not this one.
This is a difficult private situation for Joe Biden. This young girl is biologically his grandchild, but her parents have reached a settlement agreement that does not involve (and may very well explicitly exclude) the rest of Joe's family. Not sure Joe could privately meet with this girl without that turning into a circus, even if the girl's mother agreed. This is especially so if the comment below about the settlement is true: "In the legal agreement setting up financial support from Hunter, he agreed that neither he nor any family member would have any contact." In such a case, it would not be appropriate for a grandfather - however well meaning - to circumvent his son's wishes and try to meet with the little girl, even if that grates on him (unless he wants to be estranged from his one surviving son).
While the president is very much in the public eye, I think there are some things that are, and should be, his own private business. He and his family do not need to be dragged through the muck over this, nor should they be. There are bigger issues to concern ourselves with.
I don’t think that everything about someone’s private life should be out there to the public. If you are running for public office, some things should be off limits. Joe Biden is not responsible for Hunters actions and should not be used as a political football. I do believe that Joe Biden is a good, decent, family man. What no one knows is the agreement between Hunter and the little girls mom/family. We know there is this little girl, Joe Biden is the grandfather who isn’t acknowledging the existence of her. What we do not know is what the agreement is. So, here we are having this in the public being scrutinized. I agree with you, Chris, this little girl wants to be loved and be shown love. However, there are 2 sides to every story and the public does not know the other side, nor is it our business. It doesn’t affect Joe Biden as president, nor the American people.
Spot on, Chris. At the very least, he should stop saying that he has SIX grandchildren when there are seven. It’s awful and will be hurtful to the child when she is old enough to understand.
I’m with you on this. She is here now, she doesn’t deserve what’s happening. And shame on Hunter Biden for his callous treatment of her. Or rather non-treatment via denying her existence. This article made me very sad.
As a mother, I understand your feelings on this, Chris, but I think most of the other commenters have a point. We don't know what kind of relationship the mother is open to and we don't know what might have happened privately. I think the last thing that should happen is for us to see lots of photos of the President meeting his granddaughter and spending time with her. The MAGA creeps would them accuse him of using her as a prop and they would probably be hounded day and night by the press.
I think you are coming from a place of compassion for the girl, but we have to trust that her mother is looking out for her best interests.
Perhaps you have too much time on your hands to have this stick in your craw. It is a private family decision which should not be discussed. All families have something that should be kept private.
Well, I spent a bunch of time thinking on it and deciding whether to write about it. I didn't just jump on the story in the moment. It was just something that kept bothering me so I decided to use the platform I have to say something about it.
I know you know this but I have to point out that you do not know the whole story. And if there are boundary issues that can be very stressful it would be best even for the child to wait until she is an adult to have a relationship with the Bidens.
This story is none of my damn business.
Sorry. This is my vote for a return to the days when the media (mostly) leaves the private lives of politicians private.
Is it terrible, yes. Is it my business, no.
I agree. There used to be an unwritten rule that you did not comment on the children or grandchildren of the President.
That hasn’t been the rule since (at least) Amy Carter.
I think they left the Obama girls and Barron Trump alone, for the most part. Maybe it is the age, especially of a minor child that bothers me with the actions of the players and the fact it is a story.
It is possible, of course, that the family doesn’t want anything to do with the Bidens
The fact that they have not capitalized on this says something
You nailed it! In the legal agreement setting up financial support from Hunter, he agreed that neither he nor any family member would have any contact. That this is even out there is because of the MAGAscum.
Hadn't thought about that possibility, but yes, that could certainly be true.
Honestly this is where I’m at.
Chris,
I have enthusiastically read your columns, and watched your videos for years...and obviously I am a subscriber to your Substack. But today, it is YOUR story that is sticking in my craw. I am a chaplain and counselor, and I journey with others through the overwhelming labyrinth of complicated family problems that people bring to their sessions. My mother had a saying, "When your children are small, they have small problems. When your children get big, they have big problems." Hunter Biden is a big kid with big problems.
Your boys are young, and you seem to enjoy a great relationship with them, and I am happy for you. You seem to be a devoted, loving Dad and I am happy for them. But as your sons grow up, as sure as the day is long, big kids have big problems and there will be incidents that you just can't fix. Oh, you will try. (I'm a Mom of two grown children, and I know.) In addition, there will be situations that you simply need to stay out of, if you wish to maintain any sort of a relationship with your boys.
I could say more (a lot more) concerning children who are born out of wedlock, but I won't. Can we simply agree that it is a heartbreaking dilemma that lasts for a lifetime, and that there is no easy response to the matter?
I have great respect for the New York Times (I subscribe to it and read it every day), but this story of Hunter Biden's unacknowledged daughter needn't have seen the light. It was a poor judgment call, because outsiders of the family never know the full story. As in, never.
I have great respect for you as well, Chris, but it was a poor judgment call for you to write about this situation...and may you never have to face a similar ordeal. This familial entanglement goes way beyond Grandpa Joe and this little 4-yr-old girl. This involves deep family pain and suffering that goes beyond words...in fact, there are no words to describe it. I'm giving the Bidens a whole lot of slack here. It's the compassionate thing to do. I recommend you do the same.
Beautifully expressed!
I'll reply for Chris as per his spineless answer above...
"I'm sorry you feel that way."
This is a grandpa pretending his granddaughter doesn't exist. And that's putrid. And that's the story.
That’s what I thought when I read it. I’m certain it is more complicated than it seems. I don’t believe this is a cut and dried situation.
I think Chris was writing this post from no other perspective than as a Dad and hopefully someday as a Granddad. That’s how I took it. Now I agree with him so that might be why my perspective is different than yours. But I liked hearing his unbiased take on what unfortunately has become a bigger story than it should or needs to be.
I think you write this because you like Biden and his policies. Tell me that is not a factor.
Heartache within the family does not belong to a particular party...it is universal... regardless of political preference, family problems occur. Some of them are beyond repair. Can we offer such cases some much-needed space?
Given that the mother of the child is cooperating with Trump adjacent attorneys, I have to assume she is hostile to the Bidens.
Also, if Joe Biden publicly comments on the child it would ignite a firestorm in the media, especially with the Fox News, Newsmax crowd. Would that be good for the child? To be used as a prop in a political smear campaign?
Fair enough. I guess I would say that Biden doesn't have to reach out to her in some sort of public way. He could do so privately. But from all the reporting he has done none of that.
Biden does not really need to reach out to her privately because then Trump's lawyer (who is now representing her)would twist and leak the information to the MAGa press and this will distract from the laudable achievements of Biden's administration.
Why cast aspersions onto President Biden? Why assume anything? And the deal between the biological parents was made, President Biden was not a party to that. It’s not for him to reach around this binding legal agreement and be a grandfather to a child that the biological parents agreed between them would not have the father acknowledged to the child. People are free to disagree with the details of the decision, but it IS a legally binding decision. The number of children acknowledged publicly as grandchildren event happened around the same time as the legal case was resolved , which again President Biden was not party to.
I think you’re inappropriately casting aspersions. I thought so then, I definitely think so now.
As I understand it, from researching this story myself, the final agreement between Hunter and the girl's mother is that neither he nor any member of his family will have any contact with the mother and daughter. That this story is even out there now is because of the shitheaded MAGAts who have no shame.
Just keep ignoring that they PRETEND she doesn't exist? Why spin the story into being about contact? It's not, never was. It's about "the big guy" pretending she's not even out there.
I agree with this but how do we know he hasn’t met the little girl privately? Given that Joe Biden seems like such a family man I have to give him the benefit of the doubt that he has his reasons for not doing this in public. Personally I think the attacks on Hunter Biden and his life have been excessive. Maybe the President doesn’t want to further exploit the little girl. 🤷🏽♀️
We don't. But, again, the reporting suggests a) the two have never met and b)Biden does not acknowledge her as a grandchild.
Why do you care? What does it mean to your view of how the country is being run?
If the name Biden was not included in this situation, which is a reality a thousand times over, you'd not even know about it, much less pass judgment.
He's the president ofd the United States. So it matters.
He's also a grandfather to a child. So it matters.
Obviously, to you. But what about to the nation at this time of radical crazy?
So, will this be sticking you craw still when the Secessionist-in-Chief is nominated by his party as presidential candidate bringing our country to the brink of electing an authoritarian, who has already laid out his game plan for upending the Republic...will you write:
While Trump is all that, and more, which could bring the international world as we know it to unknown possibilities...
...let me be fair and balanced and note that it sticks in my craw that Joe Biden doesn't acknowledge an out-of-wedlock granddaughter, and that he has had not one, but two German Shepard pets who have bit visitors to the White House.
Maybe my craw might expect Gym Jordan and his Band of (fill in the blank) look into Shepherd-gate.
But this is my newsletter, right? So, like, if it matters to me, I generally speaking, write about it.
Chris we know it's your Newsletter and we subscribe to it because we like what you write. But it should be a two way street because you can't always be right. Nobody is always right. I strongly suggest that you read and digest what Joy and Christopher Wood have written. As the Father of two young Kidsl myself,I completely see and understand what they are saying in their comments. I hope you do too Chris
So disappointed that you have given so much space to a very private story. I’m sure there are lots of situations out there that are very similar but this is not the place to air them. I usually enjoy your posts but not this one.
Sorry you feel that way.
This is a difficult private situation for Joe Biden. This young girl is biologically his grandchild, but her parents have reached a settlement agreement that does not involve (and may very well explicitly exclude) the rest of Joe's family. Not sure Joe could privately meet with this girl without that turning into a circus, even if the girl's mother agreed. This is especially so if the comment below about the settlement is true: "In the legal agreement setting up financial support from Hunter, he agreed that neither he nor any family member would have any contact." In such a case, it would not be appropriate for a grandfather - however well meaning - to circumvent his son's wishes and try to meet with the little girl, even if that grates on him (unless he wants to be estranged from his one surviving son).
While the president is very much in the public eye, I think there are some things that are, and should be, his own private business. He and his family do not need to be dragged through the muck over this, nor should they be. There are bigger issues to concern ourselves with.
I don’t think that everything about someone’s private life should be out there to the public. If you are running for public office, some things should be off limits. Joe Biden is not responsible for Hunters actions and should not be used as a political football. I do believe that Joe Biden is a good, decent, family man. What no one knows is the agreement between Hunter and the little girls mom/family. We know there is this little girl, Joe Biden is the grandfather who isn’t acknowledging the existence of her. What we do not know is what the agreement is. So, here we are having this in the public being scrutinized. I agree with you, Chris, this little girl wants to be loved and be shown love. However, there are 2 sides to every story and the public does not know the other side, nor is it our business. It doesn’t affect Joe Biden as president, nor the American people.
Spot on, Chris. At the very least, he should stop saying that he has SIX grandchildren when there are seven. It’s awful and will be hurtful to the child when she is old enough to understand.
I’m with you on this. She is here now, she doesn’t deserve what’s happening. And shame on Hunter Biden for his callous treatment of her. Or rather non-treatment via denying her existence. This article made me very sad.
That's my overriding emotion too. It's all just sad.
As a mother, I understand your feelings on this, Chris, but I think most of the other commenters have a point. We don't know what kind of relationship the mother is open to and we don't know what might have happened privately. I think the last thing that should happen is for us to see lots of photos of the President meeting his granddaughter and spending time with her. The MAGA creeps would them accuse him of using her as a prop and they would probably be hounded day and night by the press.
I think you are coming from a place of compassion for the girl, but we have to trust that her mother is looking out for her best interests.
Perhaps you have too much time on your hands to have this stick in your craw. It is a private family decision which should not be discussed. All families have something that should be kept private.
Well, I spent a bunch of time thinking on it and deciding whether to write about it. I didn't just jump on the story in the moment. It was just something that kept bothering me so I decided to use the platform I have to say something about it.
Perhaps you did not read my comment to your reply. Private matters in a family should remain private even if the family is in public office.
I know you know this but I have to point out that you do not know the whole story. And if there are boundary issues that can be very stressful it would be best even for the child to wait until she is an adult to have a relationship with the Bidens.