Biden pledges no family members will work at the White House

President Biden in his first interview since being sworn in pledged that none of his family members will work in the White House.

Biden told People magazine that his administration will more closely resemble former President Obama’s, without as much family involvement as in former President Trump’s White House.

“No one in our family and extended family is going to be involved in any government undertaking or foreign policy,” he told the magazine. “And nobody has an office in this place.”

Trump’s family members had a significant role in his administration, with his daughter Ivanka Trump and son-in-law Jared Kushner working as senior White House advisers, although they waived government salaries. 

Accusations of family getting special treatment were leveled throughout Trump’s presidency. Kushner was initially denied security clearance in 2018 out of concerns of foreign influence and business interests, but the decision was overruled by another White House official, The Washington Post reported a year later.

Biden also had his share of family drama during his campaign as his son Hunter was criticized, mainly by conservatives, for business he conducted in Ukraine and China. The Trump campaign weaponized Hunter Biden’s business dealings in the run-up to November’s election. 

Hunter Biden announced in December that the U.S. attorney’s office in Delaware was investigating him and his finances to see if he violated tax and money laundering laws.

To strengthen ethics in his first days as president, President Biden established an ethics pledge for appointees that includes a two-year lobbying ban and restrictions on golden parachutes and shadow lobbying.