What happened: The New York Times published a heart-wrenching profile of the four-year-old granddaughter President Joe Biden has persistently refused to acknowledge.
• "In strategy meetings in recent years, aides have been told that the Bidens have six, not seven, grandchildren," the Times revealed.
• The child was determined to be Hunter Biden's following a lengthy court battle in Arkansas. The little girl is reportedly aware and "proud" of the fact that her paternal grandfather is president of the United States.
• The story was posted on the Saturday of the July 4th long weekend, which suggests the Times did not actually want many people to read it.
Why it matters: Biden claims to be a devoted "family man," but his persistent refusal to acknowledge his granddaughter's existence raises troubling questions about his capacity for human kindness and paternal love.
Crucial context: Hunter recently reached a confidential settlement with the girl's mother, Lunden Alexis Roberts, which will reduce his monthly child-support payments. Hunter had challenged their initial agreement, claiming a lack of funds.
• As part of the new agreement, Roberts agreed to drop her request to change her daughter's last name to Biden. In lieu of additional cash payments, Hunter will give the child several of his so-called paintings, which have sold to anonymous buyers for as much as $500,000 in recent years.
What they're saying: "I have six grandchildren. And I’m crazy about them. And I speak to them every single day," President Biden told a group of children in April.
• "[L]et us remember that family is life’s greatest blessing and responsibility; that we owe it to ourselves and our loved ones to make the most of our precious time together; and that our Nation would not be where it is today without our beloved fathers and father figures," Biden said last month in a Father's Day proclamation.
• Hunter Biden claimed to have "no recollection" of a romantic encounter with Roberts, who was "hardly the dating type," he wrote in his 2021 memoir, Beautiful Things. Shortly after his daughter's birth in November 2018, Hunter removed Roberts and the child from his health insurance.
• "I'm very proud of my son," Biden told reporters recently in response to questions about Hunter.
Bottom line: All children deserve to be loved.