President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden hosted a private White House wedding for his granddaughter, welcoming about 250 guests on the South Lawn and opening the State Dining Room for a celebratory lunch.
The president’s granddaughter, Naomi Biden, married Peter Neal in the 19th wedding to be held on the grounds of the executive mansion — a day before Joe Biden, the oldest sitting president in U.S. history, turns 80.
“It has been a joy to watch Naomi grow, discover who she is, and carve out such an incredible life for herself,” the president and the first lady said in a White House statement. “We wish them days full of laughter and a love that grows deeper with every passing year.”
Saturday’s event took place almost entirely out of the public eye. News media were barred from the event, prompting formal objections from the White House press corps.
The secrecy contrasts with the public fanfare when then-President Richard Nixon’s daughter Tricia was married in the Rose Garden before 400 invited guests in 1971. Hundreds of journalists were accredited for the event and televised coverage drew tens of millions of viewers.
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre called it a private “family event” and said Friday that the couple “asked that their wedding be closed to the media.”
Naomi Biden, 28, met her 25-year-old fiance through mutual friends in 2018.
Neal is a recent graduate of the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School. Naomi Biden is the daughter of Hunter Biden, who is the subject of a federal tax probe and a top GOP target. House Republicans have vowed to investigate his business dealings, though he has denied wrongdoing.
Naomi Biden said in April that the president and first lady had invited the couple to hold the ceremony at the White House. She announced the South Lawn location on Twitter in July, saying it was “much to the relief” of the Secret Service.
Elizabeth Alexander, communications director for the first lady, said the Biden family will be paying for the wedding activities. Jean-Pierre assured reporters in July that “taxpayer dollars would not go” toward the event.
Biden has said his family, including his eldest granddaughter, were instrumental in his decision to launch a White House bid in 2020 — and that they are likely to play a role in determining whether he seeks a second term in 2024. Biden has said he intends to run, but will make a final decision early next year.
Biden said Naomi organized a family meeting after a 2017 white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, to encourage him to seek the presidency.
“Pop, you’ve got to run,” Biden recalled her saying.
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(With assistance from Nancy Cook.)
