Former first lady Michelle Obama is upset with the Biden family for how it discarded her close friend Kathleen Buhle after her contentious divorce with Hunter Biden, Axios reported.
Obama's frustration with the Bidens, along with her dislike of partisan politics, is why she hasn't been on the stump for President Joe Biden, despite her popularity, Axios said.
The relationship between the Obamas and Bidens was permanently strained due to a series of events in 2015. Biden, then vice president, weighed a presidential run, but was discouraged by President Barack Obama. Beau Biden, Biden's son, died of cancer, and Hunter Biden had an affair with Beau Biden's widow, leading to his 2017 divorce from Buhle.
Michelle Obama has not attended any Biden events. Former President Barack Obama attended the White House state dinner for Kenya's president. While Barack Obama regularly advocates for Biden on X, Michelle Obama has remained silent.
In 2017, Barack Obama attended a fundraiser for the Beau Biden Foundation when Hunter Biden was dating Hallie Biden, Beau's widow. Barack Obama described the Biden family dynamics as "weird s**" while Michelle Obama felt Buhle had been wronged, being blamed for Hunter Biden's various foibles, Axios reported.
Michelle Obama campaigned for Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election, and first lady Jill Biden attended a memorial service for Marian Robinson, Michelle Obama's mother, who died recently.
Michelle Obama's spokesperson declined to comment to Axios on whether she would speak at the Democratic National Convention in August in Chicago, her hometown.
Sam Barron ✉
Sam Barron has almost two decades of experience covering a wide range of topics including politics, crime and business.
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