According to reports, Hunter Biden, a convicted criminal, has replaced Jeff Zients as President Joe Biden’s “acting chief of staff.”
According to a source who spoke with the Daily Beast on Wednesday, the Biden family, who amassed millions from international business ventures while Joe Biden was in and out of politics, is helping to keep Biden in the race.
“His wife Jill and sister Valerie, whom Democrats counted on to offer sage advice rather than simply encouragement, are standing behind him. Hunter, his son, has been at the White House so frequently lately that a Democratic lobbyist and well-connected lawyer called him “the acting chief of staff.” “He serves as a guardian. It’s he who defies his father.”
Hunter plays a pivotal role in this situation as he aspires to support his father, following in the footsteps of his late brother Beau, without allowing his criminal record to hinder him. Hunter’s presence on the scene doesn’t directly benefit Biden politically, but that’s not the focus of this discussion. Simply put, a Democrat who had previously worked for Biden said, “Biden stood by him through all the worst periods.” This is less of a political issue and more of a familial one. It’s far more about the family dynamics than about his criminal charges.
Since the president returned to the White House from Camp David, Hunter has attended meetings with Joe Biden and his senior advisers. Four sources with knowledge of the situation told NBC News on July 2:
“These persons stated that the president’s son has also been speaking with senior White House staff members. These insiders stated that although Hunter Biden frequently attends events and the White House home, it is rare for him to be present during meetings his father holds with his staff. They said that his presence during their talks had a profound effect on the president’s advisers. According to a person with knowledge of the situation, Hunter Biden has been closely counseling his father ever since the family got together at Camp David over the weekend following Thursday’s debate. According to one source, President Obama has had phone conversations and meetings with several of his aides, and Hunter Biden has “popped into” a few of them.”
One source acquainted with the thoughts of several top White House staff members told NBC News, “What the heck is happening?”
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre informed reporters that Hunter’s attendance was necessary because of the July Fourth weekend. She did not specify whether Hunter had meetings with top advisers.
Joel Pollak of Breitbart News reported on the frequent visits to the White House by Hunter’s business associates.
Another irony: when his father served as vice president of the Obama administration, Hunter Biden was once complicit in plots to provide his foreign business associates access to the White House. He can now get in right away. Hunter Biden’s background and security checks may not have been completed, and it’s unclear what meetings he attends with his father and what policy choices are made with him in attendance.”
In June, a jury in Delaware found Hunter guilty of three gun-related crimes. September will see his trial for a suspected tax offense.
