Inside Natalie Biden's Relationship With Grandparents Jill And Joe Biden
Natalie Biden is one of Jill and Joe Biden's seven grandkids. Jill and Joe are affectionately known as "Nana and Pop" to their grandchildren. Joe has a reputation for being a hands-on grandfather, frequently calling and texting his grandkids to check in with them. While his grandkids have no problem letting his calls go to voicemail, Joe will answer their calls even during public speaking engagements.
Joe makes a point to clear his schedule to attend his grandchildren's' sporting events. He and Jill also prioritize milestone events in their grandkids' lives. In May 2023, Joe wrapped up his presidential responsibilities in time to go with Jill to Natalie's high school graduation.
Natalie has a tight bond with her grandparents. "Thanksgiving I think is all of our favorite holiday, because we usually go to Nantucket," she explained to "Today" in 2021. "Maisy and I and my grandpa and my uncle and my dad, we used to do a Polar Bear Plunge in Nantucket in November." While it was a family outing, the two cousins noted how it was a little surreal with the contingent of Secret Service personnel and bystanders touting their political support for Joe. Natalie's a big fan of taking a dip in frigid water. She participated in her high school's Polar Bear Plunge as well, and wrote on her alma mater's website that it was her "proudest accomplishment at St. Andrew's School."
Natalie's supported Joe's political career
Since the Biden family is so close-knit, Natalie Biden's been participating in Joe Biden's electoral bids since she was a preschooler. However, she also played a significant role in Joe's choice to sit out during the 2016 presidential election. Natalie was 10 when her dad, Beau Biden, died in 2015 and she relied on her close relationship with her grandfather, especially during the early days of grieving. At the time, Biden recalled Natalie telling him how much he reminded her of Beau, and she worried about losing him, too. Under the circumstances, Joe believed he needed to focus on his family first.
Joe had similar concerns when the 2020 presidential election approached. However, this time Natalie and his other grandchildren encouraged him to run. Natalie and her cousins were on hand to give their grandad a big hug when it was confirmed that he won the presidential race.
@thedemocrats The Bidens have voted! Have you? #joebiden #november8 #midterms2022
Among the Biden grandkids, Natalie is known for her TikTok skills, and she's shared that savviness with Joe. In 2022 she and her granddad teamed up in a TikTok video to encourage people to vote. At 18, Natalie was newly eligible, and she and Joe drove to the polls together. "I'm so excited for her," Joe enthused in the video. Afterwards, Natalie commented that the voting process was more straightforward than she expected. Then, in May 2024, Natalie joined her grandparents at the White House for an official state dinner welcoming the President of Kenya.
Natalie's traveled the globe with Joe and Jill
Natalie Biden's also had time to experience plenty of fun with her grandparents. At the Democratic National Convention (via Today), Natalie divulged that Jill Biden is a fan of practical jokes: "She's not your average grandmother. ... She'll find like a dead snake and she'll pick it up and put it in a bag and she'll use it to scare someone."
In late 2023, Natalie celebrated the New Year by traveling to St. Croix with Jill and Joe. The trio spent a week on the island in a house located on the beach. While Natalie was on a break from the University of Pennsylvania, her granddad was still conducting presidential business during the trip. In 2016, Natalie accompanied Jill when she went to Paris to speak about education for girls and women. During the trip, Natalie and her grandma went to Notre-Dame Cathedral together. A month later, Joe took Natalie and his granddaughters Naomi Biden and Finnegan Biden with him on a vice-presidential trip to Australia and New Zealand. During the visit, Joe spent time at a cancer research organization. This location was particularly meaningful for Natalie, since her father, Beau Biden, died of brain cancer.
Exciting international destinations aside, Natalie's also happy to travel in the U.S. with her grandparents. In March 2023, she spent spring break in San Diego, California when Joe met up with the prime ministers of Australia and the U.K.