White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the administration would not disclose when Hunter Biden traveled with his father on tax payer-funded aircraft like Marine One.
Hunter traveled on the presidential helicopter with President Joe Biden from Wilmington, Del., to the White House on Tuesday morning. He was seen exiting the military transport with his son Beau.
The White House releases names of staff who travel with the president on Marine One and Air Force One but Jean-Pierre, under questioning from DailyMail.com and Fox News, said the administration wouldn’t release the names of family members.
‘No,’ she said during her White House press briefing.
Hunter Biden exiting Marine One on Tuesday morning as his son Beau Biden is guided (in the foreground) by White House aides
Hunter Biden was not listed on the passenger manifest for Marine One that was publicly released by the White House
President Joe Biden exiting Marine One on Tuesday
‘That’s something that we’ve never done,’ Jean-Pierre continued. ‘The family gets to travel with the president. And that’s been the case with every other president. And so it’s not something that we have done or we would be doing.’
Many members of the Biden family have traveled with the president and first lady on the presidential aircraft, which are funded by the tax payers. Other presidents have had their adult children fly with them and not publicly announce it. Donald Trump’s oldest sons Don Jr and Eric Trump often flew on Air Force One with their wives and children.
Hunter Biden, his son Beau and wife Melissa Cohen were in Wilmington, Del., on Monday with the president and first lady Jill Biden to mark the anniversary of the death of Joe Biden’s first wife Neilia Hunter Biden and their one-year old daughter Naomi, who were killed in car crash in 1972.
‘They were observing a very somber anniversary for them,’ Jean-Pierre noted. ‘And obviously the president is very close to his family.’
Looking ahead, the president and first lady are scheduled to spend the Christmas holiday at Camp David. Jean-Pierre declined to say which family members would be with them.
‘He spends, obviously, every holiday with his family – mostly every single day with his family. I just don’t have a list of names to share,’ she said.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said President Biden’s White House – like other administrations – would not disclose when family members travel on Air Force One and Marine One
Many Biden family members have flown with the president on Air Force One: above: Hunter Biden, Beau Biden, Ashley Biden, Melissa Cohen, Natalie Biden, and Hunter Jr. exit Air Force One in November on the return to Washington DC from Nantucket
Hunter Biden is currently defying a subpoena to appear before Congress and House Republicans are vowing to hold him in contempt. Earlier this month, the president’s son traveled to Capitol Hill to announce he would only appear in public and stating his father ‘was not financially involved in my business.’
Republicans wanted him to appear behind-closed-doors and offered to hold a later, public hearing.
But Hunter said he feared his testimony would be twisted if it wasn’t conducted in public.
‘I’m here today to make sure that the House committees’ illegitimate investigations of my family do not proceed on distortions, manipulated evidence and lies,’ he said on December 13th as he stood in front of the Capitol.
Jean-Pierre reiterated the president and first lady’s support for their son.
‘I’ll say lastly, and I’ve said this many times before, the President and the First Lady love their son very much,’ she noted.
Biden has denied any involvement in his son’s business affairs. Republicans allege there is a link between Joe Biden’s actions as president or vice president and his family’s financial dealings.
The House voted last week to formally start an impeachment inquiry into President Biden. Democrats blasted it as politically-motivated nonsense.