In Oscar Wilde’s “The Importance of Being Earnest,” the main character’s search for his true name comes to a head when he finally demands “would you kindly inform me who I am?” In an astonishing filing this week, Hunter Biden answered that question for his four-year-old daughter Navy Joan and effectively declared “you are no Biden.”
Hunter Biden’s disgraceful treatment of his daughter has long been on display in Arkansas where he long denied being her father, fought paternity, and was threatened with contempt of court over his failure to supply needed documents. After DNA testing was forced by a court, Hunter was found to be the father but he continued to resist efforts to force him to pay child support and supply financial records.
Recently, Lunden Roberts sought to have a surname change for her daughter to Biden. Even after his long and abusive treatment of his daughter in court, Hunter Biden’s opposition is breathtaking. He opposes his daughter using his name and says that, if she does, she will never have a “peaceful existence.”
Of course, Biden did not feel that way with his other four children. They are all true Bidens and living peaceful existences. It is only Navy Joan who he does not want to bear the family name.
Hunter’s concern for Navy Joan’s peaceful existence is a bit odd since he has reportedly never even seen his daughter after fighting for years to deny his paternal status and child support.
While living in a luxurious mansion in Malibu, Hunter continued to fight his obligations under child support and requested in September 2022 to have the payments lowered, bemoaning how his “financial circumstances” were difficult for him. The public pays more for his security in his mansion than he does in monthly support for his daughter.
Hunter is asking Circuit Court Judge Holly Meyer to deny Navy Joan the ability to use her father’s surname and claiming that it is in her best interest. The filing is so self-serving and transparently dishonest that it does what was once thought impossible: reach a new low for Hunter. All of his reported selfies having sex and doing drugs with prostitutes were shocking. His attacks on his former sister-in-law, Hallie Biden, widow of the deceased brother (with whom Hunter later had a romantic relationship), were appalling. However, the craven effort to deny this child his name reaches a level of cad that stands unrivaled.
The position of Hunter in court has been disgraceful, but the media has largely ignored the matter. It has also ignored the utter lack of support from President Joe Biden and the First Lady, who tellingly omitted a stocking for Navy Joan as one of their grandchildren. (The dog and cat did receive stockings). There is no record that Joe or Jill Biden have ever sought to meet, let alone embrace, their grandchild. The President has, however, sought to deny the child security protection (despite his son’s concern for her “peaceful existence”).
Joe Biden has long campaigned against “deadbeat Dads” but when a Fox reporter asked about Hunter’s refusal to pay child support, President Biden snapped at him and refused to answer the question on the “personal matter.” (The media also ignored Hunter’s deadbeat dad record in fawning interviews about this “bravery” in writing a book on his life).
The obvious effort of the Biden family in this filing is to preserve distance from this child. The legal standard for a name change in Arkansas has been based on the “best interests of the child,” not the political interest of the father and his family. Indeed, historically, Arkansas courts followed a presumption in favor of a child have the surname of its father.
More recently, the Arkansas Supreme Court in Huffman v. Fisher laid out various factors to balance including (1) the child’s preference; (2) the effect on the child’s relationship with each parent; (3) the length of time that the child has borne the prior surname; (4) the community respect for the rivaling surnames; (5) the social difficulties that could arise from the adoption of the new surname; and (6) the presence of any parental misconduct or neglect.
The petition is based on the best interest of the child. Roberts’ lawyer claims that the Biden name is “now synonymous with being well educated, successful, financially acute, and politically powerful.” The “financially acute” part did jump out for many of us who have followed Hunter Biden’s scandals for years. The Bidens have certainly made themselves wealthy during Joe Biden’s time in office. However, they are synonymous not with financial acuity but influence peddling. While influence peddling has long been the leading industry in Washington, the Bidens have long taken it to levels unimagined by other powerful families with millions in windfall payments from foreign sources, including some connected to foreign intelligence operations.
Nevertheless, the child is clearly better off with the Biden surname, particularly in establishing the very connection that Hunter, Joe, and Jill Biden seem committed to conceal or ignore. Navy Joan is the grandchild of the 46th President of the United States. That alone makes the change beneficial. Navy Joan will be able to benefit from the cache of that connection in applying to college, seeking employment, and other pursuits. It also establishes (despite the efforts of the Bidens) that she is part of the family’s legacy.
Joe Biden often talks about his Irish roots and his family tree. The familial legacy also includes Navy Joan. Those are her relatives even if they refuse to recognize or embrace her.
There is no real doubt about the best interests of his child in his filing. For their part, the Bidens have made it clear what is in their best interest. It is not this child. The court should make fast work of this petition and change Navy Joan’s surname to Biden. That will not make the family more loving or supportive or accepting. She will have to eventually deal emotionally with this latest effort to conceal her true identity.
Yet, she is a Biden and could easily prove the best of the lot.
This column appeared in Fox.com
That child needs to be kept away from that family. To be welcomed into the fold…well there is a family history of banging girl children in the shower…
It is hard to imagine this story actually happening, yet here we are. Could the best thing for Navy to not have Biden name? I would not want to go thru life trying to explain why I have the name of Biden and they do not want to have any contact with me.
If I had raised a son like Hunter Biden I think I would commit suicide.
Turley’s focus on Hunter Biden is a lastditch effort to distract from Trump’s legal woes. Turley is a present-day Neville Chamberlain whose new focus is that the only righteous thing to do is pardon Trump, he’s almost given up on pretending he isn’t guilty.
Yeah right, not.
So I guess that you believe that it is ‘perfectly acceptable’ to sire a child and then just abandon them to fend for themselves, right? …typical…
I don’t know how you guess that, now you could say I consider it less of an offense than what Trump has done.
You equate Fidelity with supporting a child who dies without such support.
That doesn’t say much about you.
Not fidelity, but treason, sedition, obstruction of justice, et.al. that affects the entiore nation, I don’t give a damn that Trump pays fro sex because he has to.
Treason. Are you off your rocker? When we look at where our enemies go for our secrets, we need not look further than Joe Biden. Trump never sacrificed America. Joe Biden did it repeatedly.
Obstruction. Learn that even the government goes to the courts. When trying to invade another’s privacy, both sides need to be heard.
You are being ridiculous and demonstrating pure ignorance and hate. Next, you will blame Trump for things his father may or may not have done 20 years before DJT was born. That is the type of guy you are.
Concerning children, you show total disregard as you do for minorities, the poor, and people in need. Your support goes to violent criminal groups like BLM, where the leaders embezzle millions of dollars.
You are a troll. Shame on you for deliberately trying to derail the comments. Any thoughts on Biden cancelling and unpersoning his poor grand daughter? Try to answer without saying “trump”.
And here we go again. What has president Trump done that’s bad? When corrupt prosecutors and judges who have forgotten their oaths keep throwing things his way, it’s not real. We have all done bad things and if look for long enough you might find them.
Another victim of TDS!
Typical leftist tactic to try and change the subject to Trump. WTH is wrong with you? You are the same as Hunter and the rest of the Biden’s. I wouldn’t change my dogs name to Biden. If this child’s Mother chooses to do so she certainly can’t visualize the ramifications that could/would go along with that decision. the next thing after that, sharing the child with the rampant Biden sexual deviance…like Father, like son, and Lord knows who else in that demonic family.
So I’m changing the subject from Turley changing the subject? I see.
The more I learn about the Biden family’s debauchery and corruption the more disgusted I feel. How can anyone continue to support Joe Biden?
Well you do know that with this artical a challange was issued to the Lower biden. I am sure he will find other barrels of toxic waste to crawl ubder.
Who in God’s name would want the last name of a bunch of criminals? I truly feel sorry for the daughter…
agree totally
As history is ultimately recorded it may well be in the interest of navy to not have Biden name
Funny little footnote to your story. Unfortunately have to sometimes share space with the miscreant Bidens on a little island off MA. Usually it’s confined to Thanksgivings. When Joe started up his exploratory effort for 2020 he held an on island fundraiser at the house of an Obama era ambassador out on Eel Point Rd. My wife, who is an Independent, but has her fingers in all sorts of Island things ended up getting an invite which she forwarded to me. Being a sarcastic SOB I wrote and inquired if it would be appropriate to bring a baby gift for their new grandchild (close to a year old, but Murray’s has such cute “reds” for babies). I was pointedly told that we were NOT welcome to attend. So I guess that’s a little glimpse of how the Biden’s view Hunters little mistake. But we all got a good chuckle.
Do you think Grampa Joe and Gramma Jill send their granddaughter birthday and Christmas cards?
Congratulations to mom for keeping her little girl alive. Yes, it is that dangerous with the NJ mob. The deep state bunglers kind of managed to hide one Hunter crime. We know the evidence, but do not know who died. Who throws a gun into a river or trash can? A killer. A drug addled scared adult-child who relies on daddy for protection. His gun ended up in a trash can. The deep state screwed that up, it is public knowledge. They did hide the murder. Was it Hunter’s drug supplier? Or was it another pregnant pole dancer.
I’ll bet on the double murder of the woman and her unborn child. Hunter would not want to alienate drug suppliers.. He has no use for another pole dancer with his unborn child.
once again our politicians and their relatives exhibit their belief that they are the new royalty and the rest of us our their serfs.
The girl wants to be able to give people the greatest assurance of honesty, “My word as a Biden.”
that right there is funny!
Honestly, Hunter might be right about this and ironically truthful. His surname brings such negative attention and associations. Why burden a child with that anvil around her neck? He knows what his family name ‘really’ means and how it has been used. Most people related to known murderers and perpetrators of crimes against humanity change their names to shield them from the backlash of the obvious relation. I question a woman who would want her child to have the last name of a man who has taken such little interest in his own offspring. Why didn’t the mother list Biden as the child’s surname and the father on the birth certificate at birth in the hospital? The mother’s last name isn’t Biden so why would she want her child to have the last name of a man who has fought to remove himself from all association with her and his child. His derelict character notwithstanding, this is about money and clout, not about this innocent little girl.
Navy Joan Biden will have more than a foot in the door for influence pedaling; a career with very high wages. Although, I’m not sure that there will be a Biden in government to sell access to by the time Navy Joan gets old enough to pickup the family business. Maybe those classified documents will still be worth something.
She was a stripper after all right? This is all her fault.
Loser
A family of Delaware Hillbillies.
Please don’t dis hillbillies like that. Most hillbills I know did NOT vote for Joe Bidumb
I would say any hillbilly in the country has more integrity than all the Bidens (gag) put together.
I think its interesting in that her mother can change her daughter’s name to whatever she wants.
While Joe doesn’t recognize her… she is Hunter’s baby daughter. Hunter failed/passed (depending on how you view it.) the paternity test.
Its his.
He has no legal standing to argue against the name change.
Although why the poor kid wants the Biden name… who knows. I’d say change the name from Navy to something else. Lets face it. Its like saying your name is ‘Hello Sailor!’ (That’s a joke people)
Yes Turley, its a waste of print to focus on this, unless Hunter won the court case and got the courts to block the name change.
Now that would be news worthy because it would be a travesty of the courts.
-G
And too late for any effect of this article. Bravo to Prof Turley for adding another chapter to “Hunter’s Story” and another “Beautiful Thing” in Hunter’s life.
“Hunter Biden’s disgraceful treatment of his daughter has long been on display in Arkansas where he long denied being her father, fought paternity, and was threatened with contempt of court over his failure to supply needed documents. After DNA testing was forced by a court, Hunter was found to be the father but he continued to resist efforts to force him to pay child support and supply financial records.”
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To answer your question, absentee, deadbeat dad,Hunter Biden, is lower than whale poop. That said, ol’ Sleepy Joe is still worse never having seen his granddaughter. Oh and Hunter wants a break from child support. Hell, he could overpay her with the loose Renminbi that falls from his pocket when he takes out the government-issue crack pipe.
The leftist trolls sure came out for this one. The professor hit a nerve!
not only does Jill Biden deny that her granddaughter exists but she’s covering for her husband molesting her own daughter too. she’s Hillary Clinton levels of despicable
You are reconfigured clearly parlayed his hand no body soon is going to be proud to be a “biden”. He actually has his kids best interest in mind? Not to be a biden.
THANK YOU!! You gives us hope
AMEN!! This entire family is Disgusting, They should be housed at GITMO! The one’s their now have Creditability, They tell you, I hate your guts, I would like to chop your head off. Biden’s have never said anything Honest or truth full.
I am surprised–no, sh0cked–that such a legal eminence grise as Jonathan Turley has nothing better to do than spend his time writing a 16 graf column on such an inconsequential issue.
Why because you are a liberal and do not want to admit they are just as bad as Republicans. No that would ruin the image of the Democrat Party and you could not live with it. If it was Trump you be all over it.
Remaxie:
Your opinion is duly noted — and discarded.
This is NOT inconsequential. How one treats their own child and/or grandchild speaks volumes about their humanity and morality or lack thereof. Deadbeats es but not descriptive enough. Cold hearted, irresponsible, selfish, self centered, deadbeats describe this situation much better.
Your “shock” is as genuine as the classic line from “Casablanca.” Go suck a lemon.