NBC News has parlayed being the first of the broadcast networks to report on President Joe Biden finally acknowledging his 4-year-old granddaughter into lionizing him Monday morning for taking that long and withstanding the criticism. Meanwhile, ABC and CBS didn’t want to stick their necks out that far as they spent barely over a minute (64 seconds) of combined time on the story over the weekend, taking 24 hours before they mentioned it.
After being the only broadcast network to cover how the Biden clan would finally acknowledge the little girl as one of their own, NBC only talked about it selectively on Saturday’s NBC Nightly News and Monday’s Today show. It was on the Today show that they really took up the task of trying to spin Biden’s long-time callousness against his granddaughter, Navy Joan Roberts, into him being thoughtful.
NBC chief White House correspondent and current White House Correspondents Association president Kelly O’Donnell praised Biden finally recognizing the existence of little Navy as a “shift in Biden family dynamics.” And after it was noted that her father was Hunter Biden, she lamented that he was “often the target of political scrutiny and congressional inquiries for his business dealings.”
“And now the Biden family is taking its first steps to include Hunter's youngest daughter in their tight circle,” she touted.
O’Donnell suggested that it took Biden almost five years to acknowledge his granddaughter (her birthday is in August) because of the legal and paternal battle between her mother, Lunden Roberts, and Hunter and not the bad polling the family was getting.
She went on to decry how Biden’s political opponents (including the press) had been calling him out for being a horrible person (Click “expand”):
O’DONNELL: The decision came as political pressure began to boil, from Republicans’ sharp jabs.
GOV. RON DESANTIS (R-FL): Why don't you spend some time with your granddaughter in Arkansas or at least recognize her existence?
O’DONNELL: To withering media scrutiny including a New York Times column. Some Republicans remain critical.
NIKKI HALEY: You talk about family values and you talk about all of that. It's odd that he won't acknowledge one of his grandchildren.
She tried to counter the fact that Biden was (figuratively) dragged kicking and screaming to acknowledge the 4-year-old by saying he loved his other grandkids. “Biden grandchildren have otherwise been visible in White House life and events,” she said. “His 2020 campaign featured granddaughters in a video emphasizing their closeness.”
And despite bragging that “family has been part of the President's political brand,” O’Donnell omitted how Hunter didn’t want his daughter to have his last name and settled with the child’s mother to bar her from using it.
Meanwhile, it took ABC 24 hours to report on the Biden family's hallow kindness to the child. World News Tonight weekend anchor Whit Johnson only gave the story a 26-second news brief on Saturday night:
Now to President Biden publicly acknowledging his seventh grandchild for the first time. A four-year-old named Navy is a child of the President's son Hunter, who recently settled a child support case with the mother. Facing criticism from both Republicans and some Democrats, President Biden saying in a statement that, “This is not a political issue. It’s a family matter. Jill and I only want what is best for all of our grandchildren, including Navy.
ABC has since ignored it, including no mention of it on their Sunday roundtable show, This Week.
Over on CBS, they only gave it 38 seconds crammed into a longer report about the 2024 presidential race on Saturday’s Weekend News, with no mention on Sunday. Correspondent Christina Ruffini spent part of that fleeting time whining about Republican criticism:
RUFFINI: But potential Republican rivals seemingly disagree.
NIKKI HALEY: When you go and you talk about family values [transition] it's odd he wouldn't acknowledge one of his grandchildren.
ASA HUTCHINSON: I want you to know, I know how many grandchildren I have.
Neither ABC nor CBS noted that Navy was not legally allowed to have the Biden last name because of the settlement with Hunter.
The network spin and obfuscation of the story was made possible because of lucrative sponsorships from LeafFilter on ABC, Claritin on CBS, and Disney on NBC. Their contact information is linked.
The transcripts are below, click "expand" to read:
ABC’s World News Tonight
July 29, 2023
6:46:15 p.m. EasternWHIT JOHNSON: Now to President Biden publicly acknowledging his seventh grandchild for the first time. A four-year-old named Navy is a child of the President's son Hunter, who recently settled a child support case with the mother. Facing criticism from both Republicans and some Democrats, President Biden saying in a statement that, “This is not a political issue. It’s a family matter. Jill and I only want what is best for all of our grandchildren, including Navy.”
CBS Weekend News
July 29, 2023
6:37:01 p.m. Eastern [38 seconds](…)
CHRISTINA RUFFINI: Several have criticized the 80-year-old for initially failing to acknowledge the paternity of a seventh grandchild, fathered by his son, Hunter.
PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN: I have six grandchildren, and I'm crazy about them.
RUFFINI: Yesterday, President Biden issued a statement, acknowledging the little girl named Navy. Saying, quote, “this is not a political issue, it's a family matter.”
But potential Republican rivals seemingly disagree.
NIKKI HALEY: When you go and you talk about family values [transition] it's odd he wouldn't acknowledge one of his grandchildren.
ASA HUTCHINSON (R-AR): I want you to know, I know how many grandchildren I have.
[Cuts back to live]
RUFFINI: Now, in that same statement, President Biden said he and First Lady Jill Biden just want what's best for their grandkids, including Navy.
(…)
NBC’s Today
July 31, 2023
8:03:56 a.m. EasternHODA KOTB: Just a few months after publicly talking about his six grandchildren, President Biden for the first time is acknowledging a seventh. The nearly 5-year-old girl is the daughter of the President's son Hunter. Senior White House correspondent Kelly O’Donnell joins us with this one. Hey, Kell. Good morning.
KELLY O’DONNELL: Good morning, Hoda. This shift in Biden family dynamics comes as Hunter Biden has been tied up in personal and legal drama. He remains under federal investigation after his plea agreement fell apart over misdemeanor tax charges and a gun offense. This First Son is often the target of political scrutiny and congressional inquiries for his business dealings. And now the Biden family is taking its first steps to include Hunter's youngest daughter in their tight circle.
[Cuts to video]
The President new public acceptance of a seventh grandchild he has not met reverses years of how he talks about family.
PRESIDNET JOE BIDEN: I have six grandchildren and I'm crazy about them.
[Transition]
I got six of them.
O’DONNELL: Only six Christmas stockings had been hung at the White House, but now a significant change a written statement Friday night: “Jill and I only want what is best for all of our grandchildren, including Navy.” Navy Joan, who turns 5 in August, is the daughter born to Hunter Biden and an Arkansas woman, Lunden Roberts in 2018. “Our son Hunter and Navy's mother Lunden are working together to foster a relationship that is in the best interest of their daughter.”
A shift immediately noticed on the campaign trail.
MIKE PENCE: I welcome the President acknowledging his little granddaughter.
O’DONNELL: The decision came as political pressure began to boil, from Republicans’ sharp jabs.
GOV. RON DESANTIS (R-FL): Why don't you spend some time with your granddaughter in Arkansas or at least recognize her existence.
O’DONNELL: To withering media scrutiny including a New York Times column. Some Republicans remain critical.
NIKKI HALEY: You talk about family values and you talk about all of that. It's odd that he won't acknowledge one of his grandchildren.
O’DONNELL: Biden grandchildren have otherwise been visible in White House life and events.
BIDEN: That's my grandson Beau up there.
O’DONNELL: His 2020 campaign featured granddaughters in a video emphasizing their closeness.
BIDEN GRANDDAUGHTER: Hi, pop. I was just talking about you.
O’DONNELL: Sources familiar say the timing was affected by fairly contentious legal proceedings and the Bidens were giving Hunter and Navy's mother space and it time, while family has been part of the President's political brand.
[Cuts back to live]
This morning, the White House is not discussing whether a potential meeting is being considered between the President and Navy Joan. We made attempts to reach Lunden Roberts through her attorney, and we have not heard back. In his statement, the President describes all of this as a family matter and not a political one. Hoda.
KOTB: All right. Kelly O’Donnell for us there in D.C. Kelly, thanks.
