Washington (AFP) – It’s been a rough few months for outgoing US President Joe Biden, but First Lady Jill Biden confirmed some good news Wednesday — the couple are to become great-grandparents. Their granddaughter Naomi Biden showed off a baby bump in a short-lived social media post on Election Day on November 5, but there had never been any official announcement. Biden, who at 82 is the oldest president in US history, will now have something to celebrate as he contemplates handing over power to his political nemesis Donald Trump in January.
Jill Biden, 73, dropped the news on Wednesday while mentioning research around extreme morning sickness during an event on women’s health at the White House. “I was particularly interested because my own granddaughter was going through the same thing — because we’re going to be great-grandparents!” she said, drawing a round of applause from the audience. Naomi Biden, 30, is the daughter of Biden’s troubled son Hunter, to whom the president granted a sweeping pardon earlier this month.
On November 5, Naomi posted an Instagram story with a photo of her cradling her baby bump and the words “(We) Voted.” She married husband Peter Neal in a ceremony at the White House in 2022 and has frequently been seen at the president’s side over the years. Naomi Biden was among the family members in the Oval Office when Biden addressed the nation on his decision to drop out of the election in July due to concerns about his age and health.
Joe Biden’s political heir Kamala Harris lost the election to Trump in November, leading to criticism of the aging president for not dropping out sooner. Biden has also faced criticism over the pardon for 54-year-old Hunter over gun and tax evasion charges. Hunter Biden is his son with his first wife Neilia, who died in a car crash in December 1972. His stepmother Jill Biden, however, defended the move earlier this month, telling reporters: “Of course I support the pardon of my son.”
© 2024 AFP
