Biden family faces pressure on patriarch to step down

The president motioned to his son Hunter, who was standing nearby, to listen and work with him on the speech, which would be recorded on a teleprompter and delivered to the nation, which had been deeply skeptical of the president’s mental acuity four days earlier after his stumbling, rambling performance in the presidential debate.

Hunter’s presence that night raised concerns among some White House staffers, who saw it as a troubling sign that Family members with political issues But for members of the Hunt family and those close to him, it was the latest sign that Hunt’s life had stabilized and he was beginning to play the role he had long held in his father’s inner circle as confidant and listener.

The past few weeks have seen as much turmoil within the Biden family as the broader political world has, and here unfolds the long story of the family’s resolve amid turmoil. According to people close to the Biden family, members have experienced a range of emotions — sadness, anger, determination — and they are deeply frustrated by the betrayal and questioning of Biden, the loyal leader of the Democratic Party for half a century.

This portrait of the Biden family at a moment of peril for its patriarch is based on interviews with multiple people with direct knowledge of the family’s thinking and private behavior who requested anonymity to discuss sensitive issues surrounding the president’s inner circle.

Biden’s family has often been by his side in recent weeks, helping him weather the political firestorm sparked by his debate performance. First Lady Jill Biden Joined him on the campaign trail in Pennsylvania. Confirmed infection with the new coronavirus On Wednesday, she met with him at his home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, as calls grew for him to reconsider his decision to continue his run.

Hunter lives in California and flew to see the president when he was in Las Vegas for a recent campaign event. They have remained in close contact, with Hunter following developments and acting as a listening ear and gut check for his father via daily and even hourly phone calls. Other family members have also been calling daily and texting frequently as usual.

However, in this family where any member can call an emergency meeting, although there is widespread speculation that a large family meeting will be held, no one has summoned family members to discuss the patriarch’s political future.

The family’s anger stems in part from their conviction that if Biden had performed poorly during the 90-minute debate, he could have gotten away with it. Many Democrats They have come to view the past few weeks as a “Game of Thrones”-style war between factions within the party, with the loudest calls for his ouster coming from people he has fought against in previous battles. The tone some in the party have taken in their efforts to oust him, they say, will only harden Biden’s resolve to stay in office.

One person close to his family said: “It’s like they didn’t know he was Irish.”

The most striking development in this private world may be the return of Hunter Biden to a central supporting role, just weeks after his criminal trial made him a source of personal worry and political danger.

When he is Convicted of felony on June 11 When he was charged for lying on a gun purchase form, his family stood by him. His father called to make sure he was OK, then flew to Wilmington, Delaware, and hugged him on the airport tarmac.

But overnight, the roles of father and son were reversed: Joe Biden Hunter spoke frequently with his father as he pursued a political career, offering support amid skepticism from Democrats.

In interviews, several people close to the Biden family said that contrary to the frequent portrayal of Hunter and Jill Biden as irrational cheerleaders who persuaded the president to stay in the White House while his political advisers urged him to reconsider, the relationship between the Biden family members was much more nuanced. The president made it clear throughout that he would not withdraw, and they have always confirmed that they would support him no matter what. Biden may still change his mind, and people close to the Biden family said they would support that decision, too.

Speaking of Hunter Biden, the past few weeks have shown us how a father and a son, both of whom have experienced tragedy and trauma, have dealt with a series of extremely difficult moments, both their own and each other’s.

“Their biggest concern is not to hurt each other,” said a person close to the family. “It’s all very Shakespearean.”

At approximately 11:15 a.m. on June 11, a federal jury in Delaware Hunter Biden found guilty He lied on forms when he bought a gun in 2018, but a week-long trial revealed his guilt. Sometimes painful detailsand the humiliating and disgusting behavior he committed while high on drugs.

After the verdict, Hunter hugged each member of his legal team, thanked them and consoled his lead defense attorney, Abbe Lowell, whispering, “It doesn’t matter.”

He later gathered with friends and family in a crowded room nearby in what some in attendance described as “moving scenes” and while many shed tears after hearing the devastating verdict, Hunt remained calm, shocking some in his camp.

“Look, guys, I’m going to be fine. This isn’t hell,” Hunter said, according to people who were there. “My addiction is hell. No matter what happens, I am here today and that is all that matters.”

The president, who was in Washington at the time, called his son and hastily made plans to fly to Wilmington to see Hunter. They met on the tarmac at the Delaware National Guard base, hugged each other, and then Hunter flew back home to Los Angeles with his wife and young son, Beau.

That evening, the president and first lady personally called some of those who attended the trial to thank them and ask how they thought Hunter was doing.

The answer he got was that he seemed surprisingly strong. It was undoubtedly a major legal setback that could have led to prison time, but he seemed to have gained some sense of personal stability.

Joe Biden soon traveled to Italy for the G7 meeting, and Hunter’s eldest daughters joined him, including Naomi, who testified at the trial.

When the presidents held the decisive debate in Atlanta about two weeks later, Hunter was at home in California. Jill Biden was with her husband. The Biden grandchildren were scattered across the country.

Afterward, they knew the debate didn’t go well and worried about the impression it would leave on voters, but that didn’t change their campaign strategy.

Many outside the Biden family believed that Biden had to decide immediately whether to continue running, but the president himself never seemed to consider the question. He simply saw the debate as a setback in an otherwise smooth campaign and a hindrance in a life full of debates. His family took that approach largely without discussion.

“It’s not in Joe Biden’s character to approach this as, ‘Should I quit or shouldn’t I quit?’ ” said a person close to the Biden family. “It wasn’t like he was wavering before he talked to Hunter and Jill.”

Late Saturday night, 48 hours after the debate, the family descended on Camp David—not for an emergency meeting but for a prearranged gathering a few days before Independence Day.Just a few weeks ago, the question was how Hunter would face his critics; now the question is how Joe will face his critics.

That weekend, in private moments without political advisers, the atmosphere set the stage for the turbulent weeks ahead: Biden would stay in office. His family supported him. The question was how to continue the campaign, not whether.

Many in the Biden family, like their patriarch, believe the election is still too close. They ignore what the polls show and don’t believe any other candidate would fare better against Trump. Biden’s deep-seated conviction that he is an underdog who has been underestimated by his party’s leaders has proven them wrong.

But family members pushed back on the idea that they were driving the decisions. They pushed back on any suggestion that they were supporting the president. They said that with their input and support, the president was able to make these big decisions as he normally would.

Family discussions also have a redemptive effect.

Five years ago, when Biden decided to run for president, his son Beau had died, his family was deeply divided, and he was dealing with divorce, extramarital affairs and drug addiction. In some ways, Hunter was more distant from his father than ever before.

The gathering at Camp David after the debate showed a largely united family, with Hunter remaining as present in his father’s life as he was before his father’s drug addiction.

The family was close as they returned to the White House after a weekend at Camp David. They celebrated Independence Day together. Ashley Biden danced on the porch with her arm around her father’s waist from behind. One granddaughter, Macy, wore a white T-shirt that read “I (Love) Joe.”

Jill stood beside him as they watched the fireworks explode in the sky.

Hunter flew back to Los Angeles on July 5, while his father flew to Wisconsin for a campaign event. They have remained in close contact.

According to Biden’s family, Biden is still convinced that he is the best candidate in the party and they support him. But they also recognize that the political situation is changing rapidly and Biden may stick to it 100% until he withdraws 100%.

“Hunter supports anything his dad wants to do, and he trusts his dad’s judgment,” said a person close to Hunter’s family. “If his dad says, ‘I could leave this to you, but I can’t do it,’ Hunter says, ‘Dad, you’re the best, and I love you, and I trust you, and I support you.’ ”

Of the Hunter family, Hunter has faced the most attention due to his father’s presidency, which arguably gave him an incentive to want his father out rather than endure a heated reelection campaign that would be followed by four more years of unwelcome attention.

But if Biden drops out and Trump wins, some family members worry he will use the Justice Department to target Hunter.

As more Democrats have publicly called for Biden to step down in recent days, Biden family confidants have become more aggressive, saying that if Biden steps down, he should make the decision based on his own political instincts rather than outside pressure from figures such as George Clooney, former President Barack Obama or former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.).

Still, relatives say the storm around Biden is not oblivious to his relatives, and even for them, the days ahead are unpredictable.

“They’re not in a bubble. They’re not burying their heads in the sand,” said one person close to the family. “They’ve been very clear about this from the beginning. And they’ve always been.”