US president says 4-year-old granddaughter Navy is ‘family matter’, not a political issue.

In a statement to People Magazine, Biden said his granddaughter Navy, a four-year-old girl fathered by his son Hunter, was not a political issue but a “family matter”.

“Our son Hunter and Navy’s mother, Lunden, are working together to foster a relationship that is in the best interests of their daughter, preserving her privacy as much as possible going forward,” Biden said in the statement published on Friday.

Biden said he and his wife Jill “only want what is best for all of our grandchildren, including Navy”.

Elise Stefanik, the fourth-highest ranking Republican in the US House of Representatives, earlier this month called Biden “cold, heartless, selfish, and cowardly” for not recognising Navy.

People Magazine cited an unnamed source as saying a child support battle between Hunter Biden and the child’s mother had affected how the president and first lady had interacted with their grandchild.

The US president has often spoken publicly about his family, including his six other grandchildren, who he has credited with encouraging him to run against Donald Trump in the 2020 presidential election.