Dr. Jill Biden, Ed. D., revealed the 2023 White House Christmas decorations on Monday with a cruel surprise twist. Months after Joe and Jill finally acknowledged Hunter Biden’s five-year-old love child Navy Joan Roberts this past summer, Jill broke with her tradition of the previous two years of hanging Christmas stockings for each of the Biden’s then six acknowledged grandchildren over a White House fireplace in the State Dining Room by hanging no stockings at all.
White House photos of Christmas stockings hung in 2021 and 2022 (below) by Jill Biden:
The bare fireplace mantle this year prompted inquiries by reporters, prompting a Biden spokesperson to say the Bidens would be hanging stockings at the family Christmas gathering at Camp Davis next month, reported the Daily Mail: “‘The family will be spending Christmas at Camp David and their family stockings will be there,’ a White House spokesperson told DailyMail.com.”
White House unveils Christmas decorations WITHOUT stockings for grandchildren after Biden acknowledged Hunter’s daughter: Holiday display includes Commander, a gingerbread 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue and lots of candy https://t.co/uAOhDu7xr4 pic.twitter.com/wnfoOOCycI
— Daily Mail Online (@MailOnline) November 27, 2023
The New York Post reported the White House did not respond to a question asking whether a stocking for Navy Joan would be hung at the Biden family Christmas at Camp David: “A White House spokesperson explained the change by saying that the Bidens plan to spend the holiday at Camp David and will hang the stockings by the chimney with care there instead. The White House did not immediately respond to an inquiry from The Post about whether Navy would receive a stocking at Camp David.”
White House ditches Biden grandkid stockings post-acknowledging Hunter child https://t.co/cuZ1WLWs9O pic.twitter.com/oqGfaAb0cn
— New York Post (@nypost) November 27, 2023
Last July after being called out by Maureen Dowd in the New York Times, Joe and Jill Biden arranged a People magazine feature where they finally acknowledged Navy Joan as their grandchild (excerpt):
“Our son Hunter and Navy’s mother, Lunden, are working together to foster a relationship that is in the best interests of their daughter, preserving her privacy as much as possible going forward,” President Biden said in a statement provided exclusively to PEOPLE.
Navy, one of the president’s seven grandchildren, has recently been the subject of headlines as Republicans have criticized the president for previously touting his “six grandchildren.”
“This is not a political issue, it’s a family matter,” President Biden’s statement continues. “Jill and I only want what is best for all of our grandchildren, including Navy.”
There are no reports on whether Joe and Jill have met with Navy Joan since their People magazine spread. Navy Joan apparently was not invited to the Biden family Thanksgiving in Nantucket this past week.
Annual Biden fam polar bear plunge 🐻❄️
Happy Thanksgiving! pic.twitter.com/pUuC6e5Qal
— Naomi Biden (@NaomiBiden) November 23, 2023
White House video of Jill Biden revealing the White House Christmas theme on Monday: