President Biden banned the press from covering any aspect of his granddaughter’s White House wedding on Saturday, at her request.
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the president has urged a closed press event for the nuptials to respect the wishes of the couple.
“Naomi and Peter [Neal] have asked that their wedding be closed to the media and we are respecting their wishes,” Ms. Jean-Pierre said. “This is their wish and we should be thrilled and happy for them in making this really important step in their lives.”
Naomi Biden, 28, is an associate at a Washington law firm, and is Mr. Biden’s oldest granddaughter.
She is the daughter of Hunter Biden, who has made headlines for various scandals and has become a top GOP target for congressional investigations.
Peter Neal, 25, is a recent graduate from the University of Pennsylvania Law School and works at the Georgetown University Law Center on National Security.
The couple has lived at the White House since August, according to CNN.
Ms. Biden’s big day will mark only the 19th wedding held at the White House. Five of them have been held in the past century.
Some journalists pushed back on the White House’s ban on allowing the press to cover the wedding, noting its historical rarity.
Kristen Welker, of NBC News, also asserted that the event will be at the White House and not a private residence.
“This is a wedding that’s happening here at the people’s house, not a private residence,” she said.
The wedding also comes a day before Mr. Biden’s 80th birthday, where the family is expected to have a celebratory brunch.
Mr. Biden and First Lady Jill Biden will then head to Nantucket, Massachusetts for Thanksgiving.
• Mica Soellner can be reached at msoellner@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.