Democratic presidential hopeful Joseph R. Biden said in a new interview that his children won’t have offices in the White House or sit in on Cabinet meetings if he’s elected president.
“It’s just simply improper because you should make it clear to the American public that everything you’re doing is for them,” Mr. Biden said in an interview to air Sunday on CBS’s “60 Minutes.”
“And the idea that you’re going to … go to the extent that he has gone to have our, you know his children, his son-in-law, et cetera, engaged in the day-to-day operation of things they know nothing about,” he said.
Ivanka Trump, President Trump’s daughter, and her husband Jared Kushner both have jobs at the White House.
Asked if Mr. Trump’s children have acted properly and avoided conflicts of interest, Mr. Biden said: “Look, I wasn’t raised to go after the children. Their actions speak for themselves.”
“I can just tell you this, that if I’m president, get elected president, my children are not going to have offices in the White House. My children are not going to sit in on Cabinet meetings,” he said.
He said with a laugh that he doesn’t think Mr. Kushner should be trying to broker a Middle East peace deal.
“What credential does he bring to that?” he said. “I mean, look, think of all the really solid people that … started off in that administration. They’ve all left. They’ve all left. All the talent is gone.”
Mr. Biden has fended off his own conflict of interest questions in recent weeks, amid questions over his son Hunter Biden’s business dealings in Ukraine and China while the elder Biden was vice president.
Brad Parscale, Mr. Trump’s reelection campaign manager, said Mr. Biden is correct that Hunter Biden would never have an office in the White House “because he’s proven that his only qualification is being the son of Joe Biden.”
Mr. Parscale praised Mr. Kushner and Ms. Trump for their work on issues such as criminal justice reform, trade and taxes.
“Ivanka Trump, in her own right, has proven herself to be an accomplished CEO and has made historic strides for women,” he said.
• David Sherfinski can be reached at dsherfinski@washingtontimes.com.
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