US President Biden becomes a great-grandfather

WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden became a great-grandfather on Jan 8 when his eldest granddaughter gave birth to a baby boy in California.

“The good news is – I’m a great-grandfather as of today,” Mr Biden told reporters after leaving a fire station in Santa Monica, California, where he was on a two-day trip that coincided with deadly wildfires in the region.

Mr Biden at first said that his granddaughter, Ms Naomi Biden Neal, had given birth to “a 10-pound baby girl” before quickly correcting himself to say “baby boy”.

First Lady Jill Biden introduced the newborn in an Instagram post, revealing his name: William Brannon Neal IV. In the photo, taken inside Cedars-Sinai Medical Centre in Los Angeles, Mr Biden held the boy, who was wrapped in a blue-striped blanket, while Mrs Biden tugged a hat over his dark hair.

Mr Hunter Biden, the baby’s grandfather, his wife Melissa and their son Beau were also present, according to reporters travelling with the President.

Members of the media noted that wildfires were visible from the route of the motorcade and that smoke hung low over the hospital as the Bidens congratulated the new parents.

The newborn is the first child of Ms Biden Neal and Mr Peter Neal, who were married in November 2022 on the South Lawn of the White House. Ms Biden Neal, as the President often says, was named after his firstborn daughter, who died in a car crash along with Mr Joe Biden’s first wife, Neilia, in 1972.

The President told USA Today in an interview this week that his granddaughter was due to have a caesarean section on Jan 8.

“I’m about to be a great-grandfather,” he said.

Mr Biden has seven grandchildren. NYTIMES