What We Know About Joe Biden's Grandson Robert Biden II
Joe Biden has two grandsons and five granddaughters. Within the Biden family tree, Robert "Hunter" Biden II is the younger brother of Natalie Biden. Their dad is the late Beau Biden, Joe's eldest child. Robert's middle name is Hunter, and he prefers to go by the moniker, which he shares with his uncle, Hunter Biden. Like Hunter II's sister and cousins, he has been showing his support for his granddad's political career since he was a toddler. In addition, Hunter II also participated in his dad's political career. Starting in 2006, the same year the younger Hunter was born, his dad Beau became Delaware's Attorney General.
Since he's grown up inside a family that's frequently in the spotlight, Hunter II prefers to maintain his privacy. While his older sister Natalie and his cousin Naomi Biden have shared numerous pictures on Instagram, Hunter II's social media use is more akin to his cousin Finnegan Biden, who has a private Instagram account. Hunter II has just one post on what appears to be his own account. Coincidentally, it's a pic of him and Finnegan walking and talking. While he doesn't seek media attention, Hunter II is occasionally photographed with his grandfather. Here's what we know about Joe's eldest grandson.
Robert 'Hunter' Biden was just nine when his dad passed away
Robert "Hunter" Biden was only four when his father, Beau Biden, began dealing with serious health difficulties. After the Iraq War veteran suffered a stroke in 2010, his health concerns escalated, and devastatingly for his young children, Beau died of brain cancer in 2015. Seven years later, Hunter II watched his grandfather sign the PACT Act. President Joe Biden believed this piece of legislation was relevant to Beau's tragic death, so he invited Hunter II and Brielle Robinson, another child of a veteran who had died of cancer, to attend. Beau served in Iraq as a Major in the U.S. Army, and Joe asserted that military activities played a major role in Beau's cancer diagnosis. The president mentioned Hunter II by name during his speech, saying, "That's my grandson. His daddy lost to the same burn pits. And he knows what you're going through," (via the Daily Mail).
Afterwards, Joe embraced his teenage grandson and shook his hand. The former VP, who goes by "Pop" when he's with his grandkids, reportedly makes a point to check in with the younger Hunter, his sister Natalie Biden, and all of their cousins daily. "I just think being there is important and it makes such a difference," Joe explained on the podcast "On Purpose with Jay Shetty," adding, "Knowing that someone's gonna be there for you just to listen, just to, just to hold you, just to hug you." The president increased his support for Hunter II and Natalie after their dad died, making a concerted effort to visit them weekly.
Robert 'Hunter' Biden encouraged Joe Biden to run for president
Besides leaning on his grandfather, President Joe Biden, for support, Robert "Hunter" Biden II supports him politically too. Along with his sister, Natalie Biden, and their cousins, Hunter II helped persuade Joe to run in the 2020 presidential election. "Little Hunter [...] showed him something on his phone some, like, tabloid story about the family," Naomi Biden recalled during a 2021 interview with "Today." She paraphrased what Hunter II told their granddad: "We know about these sort of things, we know it's going to be bad but we have each other and we know the truth." She reckons his grandson's encouragement set Joe's mind at ease with regards to the campaign's potentially negative impact on them. A smiling Hunter II with his sister and cousins behind him was included in an October 2020 post on Naomi's Instagram account, captioned: "Anyone who wants to get to @joebiden, will have to get past us first."
In 2024, Hunter II publicly showed his support for Joe once again. He appeared with Natalie and three of their cousins as they recited the Pledge of Allegiance in a promo for the 2024 Democratic National Convention (via X, formerly known as Twitter). In turn, Joe and Jill Biden have made it a priority to attend important events in Hunter II's life. The extended Biden clan celebrated his confirmation at their church in April 2021. Elsewhere, when their family is on vacation at Rehoboth Beach, in Delaware, Hunter II frequently joins his beloved grandfather for Mass services there.