United States President Joe Biden has publicly acknowledged his seventh grandchild, Navy, for the first time. The four-year-old girl is the child of Biden's son, Hunter, whose paternity of Navy was established through DNA testing after Roberts sued for child support. "Jill and I only want what is best for all of our grandchildren, including Navy," President Biden said on Friday, as reported by the BBC. Biden has faced flak from both Republicans and Democrats for not recognising her in the past.
House Republican Elise Stefanik accused the US President of "cold, heartless, selfish and cowardly" behaviour after the legal battle ended in June. "Every American knows that Joe Biden should have done the right thing years ago and acknowledged all of his grandchildren," Stefanik told the Daily Mail.
Acknowledging the child for the first time, Biden told People magazine that it was "not a political issue, it's a family matter". He further stated that his son was working with Navy's mother, Lunden Roberts, to "foster a relationship that is in the best interests of their daughter, preserving her privacy as much as possible going forward".
In his 2021 memoir, Biden mentioned his encounter with Roberts, saying it came while he was deep in addition to alcohol and drugs. "I had no recollection of our encounter," he wrote. "That's how little connection I had with anyone. I was a mess, but a mess I've taken responsibility for," as quoted by the BBC.
The US President had faced criticism from Republicans over his failure to mention Navy, with some claiming it was at odds with his public image as a family man. In April, Biden said he was "crazy" about his six grandchildren and spoke to them every day, the BBC reported. Hunter Biden has four other children, including a son named Beau, named after the president's late son, who passed away in 2015.
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