A picture is worth a thousand words, and former United States President Joe Biden must have been reminded of the timeless phrase after his Christmas Eve family photo blew up on social media—not for all
the right reasons.
In the photograph shared on X, Biden stands at the back of the group, partly obscured by his wife Jill Biden, while other family members, including his son Hunter Biden, occupy more prominent positions in the frame. The former president’s daughter Ashley, Hunter’s wife Melissa Cohen and two other grandchildren are also seen in the family photo.
Wishing you a peaceful and joyful Christmas Eve filled with love. pic.twitter.com/OB5GouvxTJ
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) December 25, 2025
Despite Biden’s caption wishing followers a “peaceful and joyful Christmas Eve”, many users quickly zeroed in on the former president’s placement, leading to a flurry of reactions online. Users on X and other platforms joked that Biden was “hidden” or “buried” in his own family photo, questioning why he appeared almost invisible behind family. Some even suggested the image looked like a deliberate snub or a symbolic sign of diminished stature.
“I think it’s disrespectful to put the eldest family member in the back of a photo taken for the former president’s social media,” a user wrote.
Some questioned Hunter’s placement in the picture, with a user saying: “Hunter is the alpha now.”
“Ouch,” an X user commented. “Way to shove the family namesake to the back, cover part of his face, then post it to his social media account.”
Several commenters also pointed to Biden’s recent health challenges, including treatment for prostate cancer, as context for their reactions, though others defended the family and offered warm holiday wishes.
“Wishing you a peaceful Christmas Eve too, Mr President. Let’s hope the spirit of goodwill extends into the new year and helps bridge some of the divides we’ve seen. The image is a nice reminder of simpler times,” a user wrote.
Since stepping away from the 2024 presidential race, Joe Biden has largely receded from the public and political spotlight.
During his time in office, however, Biden frequently drew attention for a series of high-profile verbal slips and faltering debate performances. These included mistakenly referring to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as “President Putin,” confusing then Vice President Kamala Harris with Donald Trump, and misnaming Defence Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III during a public address.
Earlier this month, Biden again stumbled over his words while delivering a speech, failing to clearly say the name of the country he once led. While criticising what he described as “the many crises caused by this administration,” he misspoke, saying, “We’re the United States of Amerigotit… That’s who we are. We’re the US.”
In May, Biden’s post-presidential office disclosed that he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer that had spread to his bones. He completed radiation treatment for the aggressive illness in late October and has since been seen spending time with his family, including during Thanksgiving celebrations.
