The younger Biden, 53, is often a fixture by his father’s side at family-focused events, like the White House Easter Egg Roll. But he’s also accompanied the president on official government trips, like when Biden went to Ireland in April.
The White House says Hunter Biden paid his own way to Ireland, consistent with practices in place under previous administrations when family members accompany the president for foreign travel.
And, most notably, Hunter Biden was a guest at a White House state dinner with the leader of India just two days after the public learned of a plea agreement he reached with the Justice Department on tax evasion and gun charges. Hunter Biden, as well as Attorney General Merrick Garland, were among the 400 guests at the dinner as Republicans accused the president’s son of getting a “sweetheart” plea deal. Some Democrats privately cringed at the decision.
A Democratic member of Congress, who did not want to be named criticizing the White House, urged the president to consider the “optics” in the wake of GOP allegations that his son received preferential treatment in the Justice Department’s investigation.
“He’s a loving a father whose son has had a real drug problem, and he’s got to use some common sense,” the lawmaker said. “He’s got to become more sensitive to the optics. He’s up for re-election.”
But others defended Biden for inviting his son to the state dinner.
“He’s the president’s son,” said Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif. “It’s normal for the president to invite family members to one of the biggest events in his presidency.”
Rep. Jim Clyburn, D-S.C., a close ally of the president, said it was “absolutely not” a mistake for Biden to invite his son to the state dinner.
“It may be a problem for some people, but for me it was not a problem,” Clyburn said on “Meet the Press Now.” “It was him being a dad.”
It wasn’t a question for the president and first lady that Hunter Biden would be invited to the state dinner for India’s prime minister last week because he’s family, people familiar with the matter said.
As for whether Hunter Biden could decide to step back from the spotlight, or decline state dinner invitations, a longtime associate of the president said, “He’s doing this with a father who is deeply afraid, as he should be, of what happens to many people struggling with addiction, as any father of any person who has struggled with addiction would be, about relapse.”
The president and White House officials have chosen not to comment on the federal case against Hunter Biden or push back on Republican accusations that he got special treatment by the Justice Department. But White House officials quietly solicited help from outside allies to message on the Hunter Biden plea deal, specifically to counter the GOP criticism that he got off easy because of who his father is.
“There is a sentiment that Hunter should basically not be talked about and that he’s a liability,” said a person familiar with the White House dynamics involving the president’s son. “And there’s another view from those closer into the Biden family that a vigorous defense is necessary, and they welcome that coming from the outside.”
Politically, Biden’s view is that Americans will find his relationship with his son relatable from a family perspective, and that sticking by someone in recovery is just as important as the recovery itself, people close to the president said. The president also views Hunter Biden’s expected guilty plea to tax evasion and gun charges as his son taking responsibility for his past actions, they said.
A White House official pointed, unprompted, to a Reuters/Ipsos poll last week showing 60% of Americans believe Biden is being a good father by supporting his son as he navigates legal troubles.
But the poll also found that half of respondents believe Hunter Biden is receiving favorable treatment from the Justice Department because he’s the president’s son. And 58% said Hunter Biden’s plea deal won’t have any impact on their likelihood of voting for his father in the 2024 presidential election.
John McLaughlin, one of Trump’s pollsters, said the former president’s 2024 campaign plans to continue focusing on Hunter Biden and his business dealings.
“I can tell you the Trump campaign is going to keep pressing the Biden corruption issue,” McLaughlin said. It’s our job to get that out there.”