Michelle Obama has privately expressed frustration with the Bidens over the treatment of her friend Kathleen Buhle following Buhle’s divorce from Hunter Biden, according to a recent report.
This has reportedly made her hesitant to openly campaign for President Biden.
The former first lady and Buhle became friends during Barack Obama’s presidency when Joe Biden was vice president. Despite their close bond, tensions arose after Hunter Biden and Buhle separated in 2015 and divorced in 2017.
Buhle’s memoir, “If We Break,” detailed Hunter’s addictions and infidelity, claiming she was “largely exiled” from the Biden family after the split, as reported by Axios.
The Biden family was reportedly unhappy with Buhle’s book, even though it was published a year after Hunter Biden’s 2021 memoir, “Beautiful Things,” which also discussed his struggles with addiction.
In 2017, former President Obama attended a fundraiser for the Beau Biden Foundation in Wilmington, Delaware.
At the event, Hunter Biden was dating his late brother Beau’s widow, Hallie Biden. Obama allegedly described the situation as “weird s–t,” though he later denied making this comment.
Michelle Obama has confided in others that she felt Buhle was wronged after her marriage to Hunter Biden ended. This sentiment has contributed to her reluctance to actively campaign for Biden, who is currently seeking re-election against former President Trump. However, she remains engaged in voter registration efforts.
Despite her initial reluctance to campaign for Biden in 2020, Michelle Obama eventually spoke at the Democratic National Convention.
Although there are discussions about her potentially joining the campaign trail again, there appears to be lingering tension between the families. Nevertheless, both families remain united in their political goals, with Obama and Biden appearing together at a recent fundraiser.
The relationship between the Obamas and Bidens reportedly changed in 2015 when Obama discouraged Biden from running for president, paving the way for Hillary Clinton’s nomination.
Obama’s camp has emphasized that this advice was partly due to Biden’s grief over the death of his son, Beau.
The White House has pushed back on the Axios report.
Spokesman Andrew Bates stated:
“The Biden and Obama families are like family to each other, and whomever made these claims about that relationship isn’t familiar with it.”
He added that the former president and first lady have been strong supporters of President Biden.
Michelle Obama’s communications director, Crystal Carson, also responded to the report, noting that First Lady Jill Biden attended the memorial service for Obama’s mother, Marian Robinson.
Carson reiterated Michelle Obama’s support for the Biden-Harris campaign and acknowledged her friendships with both Buhle and the Bidens.
