One understands that, in the later years of life, the roles of parent and child are often reversed. Age takes a toll. The mother or father who was once the authority figure loses certain capabilities and the son or daughter now becomes the responsible adult.
This is in no way unusual. In fact, one would wager that, in thousands of ways both small and large across the city of Dublin, Ireland, on Wednesday, a responsible child had to step in to help out a cognitively or physically receding parent.
What made one particular instance of this role reversal both unusual and distressing is that 1) the father in question is supposed to be the leader of the free world and 2) the “responsible” son involved was one Hunter Biden.
Hunter was taken along by President Joe Biden on his trip to the United Kingdom and Ireland this week, a move that raised eyebrows. It’s a little like if Buckingham Palace had given Prince Andrew significant speaking time during his mother’s funeral.
Given what we know about Hunter Biden’s dodgy finances, his refusal to acknowledge a daughter sired out of wedlock, his consumption of illicit substances and his current “career” as a not-so-starving-artist, it’d be hard to label Hunter the “responsible” one here. And yet, when Joe Biden landed in Dublin, Hunter had to step into the role.
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President Biden was greeting and answering questions from “embassy staff, children, and fire fighters, at Dublin Airport,” according to C-SPAN, when he got a question from a young’un.
Now, since the child wasn’t mic’ed, it’s difficult to hear what he’s saying. However, from what I could make out, he appears to be asking: “What’s the top step to/for success?”
“What’s the top steps– steps to success?” the president seems to say in response. “Well– making sure that we all don’t have COVID. Why? What are they talking about?”
And that’s when Hunter had to step in.
Do you think Biden is mentally fit to be president?
“To success,” Hunter reiterated to his father. “Like, what’s the– what’s the– what’s the key to success?”
“Oh! What’s the key to success?” the president exclaimed, then began shouting: “You what I found out the key to success is? … The key to success is, whenever you disagree with someone, it’s OK to question their judgment, whether they’re right or wrong. But it’s never OK to question their motive.”
Hunter Biden steps in to help his father understand the questions he’s being asked (by a group of kids) pic.twitter.com/GsEttHHBPl
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) April 12, 2023
There’s clearer audio on C-SPAN’s video, with the relevant portion beginning at 3:45:
Now, this brought about more than a few jokes in the comments section, as you might imagine:
Did he take that crackhead abroad?
— Lavern Spicer ?? (@lavern_spicer) April 12, 2023
He pretends he can’t hear so he can get within sniffing distance ?
— James Bradley (@JamesBradleyCA) April 12, 2023
However, the not-funny part is that this wasn’t the only time that Hunter had to correct his father, as the official White House transcript indicates:
It’s worse than you thought – Hunter is there to “HANDLE” Joe. Look how many times he corrects him. OMG ?♀️?? White House actually printed it off
APRIL 12, 2023☘️
Remarks by President Biden in Meet-and-Greet with Embassy Families and Firefighters https://t.co/5LWcPvI33g…Dublin… pic.twitter.com/sithzY5nRp— Joni Job (@jj_talking) April 12, 2023
In one instance, he had to set his father straight about whether the late Sen. Jesse Helms was from North or South Carolina. (North.)
In another, he has to remind his father he’s “supposed to do the rope line” — slang for when a politician or celebrity walks and shakes hands with those standing behind a roped- or fenced-off barrier.
And this came during the same visit to Ireland where many were questioning whether he thought the Oval Office was in the U.S. Capitol or in the White House:
Joe Biden just said the Oval Office is located in the United States Capitol.
This is a national emergency.
“As you walk into my office in the Oval Office in the United States Capitol…” pic.twitter.com/5tlBM06raJ
— The First (@TheFirstonTV) April 12, 2023
Now, to be fair, he could have meant it was located in the “capital,” as in Washington, D.C. If so, that means he thought the crowd was as far gone as he is — so not only is he dim, he’s insulting, too.
To be fair, this is probably what he meant, given that he said the building was designed by an Irishman. The White House was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, whereas the British-born American Dr. James Thornton is credited with designing the Capitol.
Furthermore, there was this incident where he appeared to brush aside U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak aside as if he didn’t recognize him:
He just pushed Sunak aside and salute the Lord Lieutenant of County Antrim perhaps he thought he was King Charles or may be he just didn’t recognise Sunak.
— Zaki Khan (@ImZak06) April 11, 2023
Now, did he not recognize the leader of our closest ally? It’s mere speculation, of course.
However, the fact we’re asking these questions in the first place isn’t a good sign. A worse sign? The fact that the person charged with keeping him in line while he tours the British Isles is Hunter Biden — a man who says he couldn’t even remember having sex with a woman he fathered a child with.
And Joe Biden wants to be in the Oval Office — wherever he thinks it is — until Jan. 20, 2029? Give me a break.
