CNN's Dana Bash: Biden shunning 7th grandchild is 'disturbing on so many levels,' 'devastating' to his image
The president continues to not acknowledge the existence of his granddaughter fathered by Hunter Biden
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}CNN anchor Dana Bash joined the recent media pile-on against President Biden for refusing to acknowledge his seventh grandchild calling it "sad and disturbing on so many levels."
Late last month, Hunter Biden reached a settlement following a years-long court battle with an Arkansas woman who he shares a four-year-old daughter after previously denying paternity.
It was also recently reported the White House's messaging was that President Biden, who often speaks fondly about his family, only has six grandchildren, not including the one his son had illegitimately.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}President Biden continues to not acknowledge the existence of his seventh grandchild fathered by his son Hunter. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
On Monday, the "Inside Politics" host tackled the subject while covering the brutal criticism the president received from New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd.
"This is a story that is sad and disturbing on so many levels," Bash said during a panel discussion. "Yes, it is political for a couple of reasons. Number one, yes, Republicans are using it and are going to take advantage of it in a way that is unfortunate, inappropriate. But the reason they're doing that is because- and able to that is because of the brand and the kind of person that we all know and believe Joe Biden to be because it's who he says he is. And it's somebody who is a family man. That's what we see all of the time."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}NBC'S CHUCK TODD ACCUSES GOP OF TRYING TO ‘EXPLOIT’ BIDEN OVER NOT ACKNOWLEDGING HIS 7TH GRANDCHILD
Bash then played a clip of Biden from April boasting about how he's "crazy" about his "six grandchildren" and how he speaks to them "every single day," adding they're "crazy" about him because "I pay so much attention to them."
"Look, it's complicated. Families are really, really hard especially when you have issues that we have seen in this one, but he's also the president and he again, he also has a political brand," Bash reacted.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}CNN anchor Dana Bash called President Biden's shunning of his seventh grandchild "sad and disturbing on so many levels." (Screenshot/CNN)
The CNN anchor shrugged out Democrat complaints about how the mother received financial assistance with her lawsuit against Hunter Biden from "MAGA and Republican lawyers," telling the panel "Maybe that's true, but does that matter when you're talking about a four-year-old girl?"
MEDIA DISCOVERS THAT HUNTER BIDEN'S ‘LOVE CHILD’ IS ACTUALLY NEWS
"On the flip side, I've talked to Democrats who very much love Joe Biden who say that this is kind of devastating to the image of who he is," Bash said.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Hunter Biden recently settled a child support lawsuit with the mother of his biological daughter. (Kevin Lamarque/Reuters)
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Times columnist Dowd penned a critical piece over the weekend calling out how Biden's shunning of the granddaughter undercuts his "empathy" persona.
"The president’s cold shoulder — and heart — is counter to every message he has sent for decades, and it’s out of sync with the America he wants to continue to lead," Dowd wrote.