For the first time, US President Joe Biden has publicly acknowledged four-year-old girl, Navy, daughter of Hunter Biden and Arkansas woman Lunden Roberts, as his seventh grandchild, BBC reported.
"Jill and I only want what is best for all of our grandchildren, including Navy," Biden said.
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In a statement to People magazine, the US President said that it was "not a political issue, it's a family matter".
"Our son Hunter and Navy's mother, Lunden, are working together to foster a relationship that is in the best interests of their daughter, preserving her privacy as much as possible going forward," he said.
Hunter Biden's paternity of Navy was proved via DNA test after Lunden Roberts sued the former for child support.
Hunter wrote about his encounter with Roberts in his 2021 memoir, saying it came while he was deep in addiction to alcohol and drugs. "I had no recollection of our encounter. That's how little connection I had with anyone. I was a mess, but a mess I've taken responsibility for," he wrote.
{{/usCountry}}Hunter wrote about his encounter with Roberts in his 2021 memoir, saying it came while he was deep in addiction to alcohol and drugs. "I had no recollection of our encounter. That's how little connection I had with anyone. I was a mess, but a mess I've taken responsibility for," he wrote.
{{/usCountry}}President Biden's acknowledgement of his grandchild came after he was criticised by Republicans over his failure to mention Navy, and his previous decision not to recognise her. House Republican Elise Stefanik had said, “Every American knows that Joe Biden should have done the right thing years ago and acknowledged all of his grandchildren.”
Meanwhile, House Republicans have been reported to threaten to impeach Biden over alleged corruption involving his son Hunter's foreign business dealings.
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy earlier this week suggested that a probe into Biden's role in his family's dealings was rising to the level of an impeachment inquiry.
The investigation hovers around Hunter's foreign business relationships, alleged coverups in his criminal case, and accusations of interference by Biden-appointed officials.
Earlier, the US president had said that he was "crazy" about his six grandchildren and used to speak to them every day. Other than Navy, President Biden has six other grandchildren, two children of his late son Beau and his wife Hallie, while Hunter Biden has four other children - three daughters with his ex-wife Kathleen Buhle, and a son with wife Melissa Cohen.