Naomi Biden: Who Was Joe Biden’s Late Daughter?
Naomi Biden is the deceased daughter of Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden. The youngest of Biden and his first wife Neilia’s three children, her life was tragically cut short on December 18, 1972, only weeks after her 30-year-old father was elected to his first term as senator in Delaware. She, her mother and two brothers –Beau and Hunter — were involved in a car accident that killed Naomi and Neilia while leaving the two boys seriously injured.
In Biden’s 2017 book Promise Me, Dad: A Year of Hope, Hardship, and Purpose, the former vice president described his struggles in the aftermath of the tragedy, as reported by Women’s Health.
“The pain… seemed unbearable in the beginning, and it took me a long time to heal, but I did survive the punishing ordeal. I made it through, with a lot of support, and reconstructed my life and my family.”
Naomi’s Death Had A Lasting Effect On Biden
Nicknamed Amy, Naomi was the first daughter of a mother who was a teacher and a lawyer father who was just elected to become one of Delaware’s representatives in the Senate. The Biden’s had relocated to Wilmington, Delaware, from Syracuse, New York, following the completion of their collegiate studies as they started a family. Beau was the firstborn in 1969, followed by Hunter a year later, with Naomi arriving a year after that.
Naomi and her mother’s death had a strong influence on how Biden conducted his life as a senator in Washington D.C., particularly with the relationship he had with his sons. Instead of moving to the capital, Biden decided to take the four-hour train commute from Delaware on a daily basis. This allowed him and his children to maintain as normal of a life as possible.
“I did it because I wanted to be able to kiss them goodnight and kiss them in the morning the next day… But looking back on it, the truth be told, the real reason I went home every night was that I needed my children more than they needed me.”
Joe Biden’s Granddaughter Was Named In Naomi’s Honor
At the eulogy for his brother Beau, Hunter described his memory of the crash.
“The first memory I have is of lying in a hospital bed next to my brother. I was almost 3 years old. I remember my brother who was 1 year and one day older than me, holding my hand, staring into my eyes, saying, ‘I love you, I love you, I love you’ over and over and over again.”
When his first daughter was born, Hunter named her after Naomi. While only 26, she has already displayed a keen interest in politics, according to Marie Claire. When her grandfather was serving as vice president, she joined him on international trips to countries including New Zealand and China. She’s a strong supporter of Biden’s presidential campaign on social media, including tweeting about how she was proud to be his granddaughter and an American during the Democratic National Convention.
I am proud to be your granddaughter every single day @JoeBiden. But tonight, I am just as proud to be an American. pic.twitter.com/nimWHpAFP9
— Naomi Biden (@NaomiBiden) August 19, 2020
She graduated from Columbia Law School in May 2020, where she met her boyfriend, Peter Neal. The couple recently completed a project that included crafting a quiz that helps people understand if they qualify for aid under the CARES Act.
