In emails retrieved from Hunter Biden’s laptop and published by Fox News on Wednesday, then-Vice President Joe Biden criticized President Obama, accusing him of having “no grace” a suggestion the president had plagiarized a speech of his.
Biden’s Sarcastic Jibe Over Obama Speech
The emails reveal a specific exchange that took place on September 7, 2010, just a day after President Obama delivered a pro-union speech at Laborfest in Milwaukee. In this exchange, Hunter Biden quoted a section of President Obama’s speech and sent it to his father’s personal email account, [email protected].
“Interesting language from the President: ‘They (his grandparent) would tell me about seeing their fathers or uncles losing their jobs…how it wasn’t just a loss of a paycheck that stung. It was the blow to their dignity, their sense of self-worth,’” Hunter wrote.
Hunter then questioned the source of President Obama’s remarks, asking, “Wonder where he got that from? I’m surprised he didn’t finish with the long walk up a short flight of stairs. Pretty amazing.”
In response, Joe Biden expressed his displeasure, simply stating, “No grace.”
Hunter Biden’s implication was clear: he suggested that President Obama had borrowed language from Joe Biden’s 2008 campaign speeches, where Joe Biden frequently spoke about the emotional toll of job loss on families.
Joe Biden’s August 2008 speech accepting the Democratic vice-presidential nomination included the words, “That’s how you come to believe, to the very core of your being, that work is more than a paycheck. It’s dignity. It’s respect.” He continued to discuss the “long walk” during a November 2008 speech in Missouri, describing the emotional impact of job loss on families.
Biden’s Own Brush with Plagiarism Claims
Joe Biden himself faced plagiarism allegations that helped thwart his first presidential campaign in 1988, after it was revealed major chunks of a speech were taken from those of the then British Labour Party leader Neil Kinnock.
Additionally, during his first year studying at Syracuse University Law School, the young Biden was found to have plagiarized a paper by using “five pages of a published law review article without quotation or citation,” according to the dean.
The emails obtained from Hunter Biden’s laptop show that [email protected] was among the email addresses used by Joe Biden during his tenure as vice president, frequently used for communication with family members. This email address also appears in multiple email exchanges on Hunter Biden’s laptop, as previously reported by Marco Polo.
Biden Family’s China Links
In a recent revelation, Casey Owens, who is Joe Biden’s niece and Hunter’s cousin, was identified as having served as a special assistant for the U.S.-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue at the U.S. Treasury Department.
She sent an email to the “auks” account on May 10, 2011, praising Joe Biden for his remarks during the U.S.-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue. The “auks” account later forwarded this email to Hunter, Joe Biden’s son Beau (now deceased), and Joe Biden’s sister Valerie.
Another email from the “auks” account to Hunter, signed “Love Dad,” on June 14, 2011, revealed a personal message from Joe Biden. In this email, Joe Biden referred to Hunter’s eldest daughter, Naomi, suggesting that he had spent time with her the previous evening.
Barack Obama 2023
President Barack Obama leans backward as Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel speaks during a National Economic Council and Domestic Policy Council planning meeting in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, Feb. 11, 2010. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
This official White House photograph is being made available only for publication by news organizations and/or for personal use printing by the subject(s) of the photograph. The photograph may not be manipulated in any way and may not be used in commercial or political materials, advertisements, emails, products, promotions that in any way suggests approval or endorsement of the President, the First Family, or the White House.
President Barack Obama talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a phone call from the Oval Office, Monday, June 8, 2009. Official White House Photo by Pete Souza.This official White House photograph is being made available for publication by news organizations and/or for personal use printing by the subject(s) of the photograph. The photograph may not be manipulated in any way or used in materials, advertisements, products, or promotions that in any way suggest approval or endorsement of the President, the First Family, or the White House.
Notably, the White House, President Obama’s office, and Hunter Biden’s lawyer have not responded to requests for comment regarding these emails.
Georgia Gilholy is a journalist based in the United Kingdom who has been published in Newsweek, The Times of Israel, and the Spectator. Gilholy writes about international politics, culture, and education.
