Hunter and baby Beau join Joe and Jill (and bunnies) at White House Easter Egg roll

Hunter Biden and his son, baby Beau, joined President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden at Monday’s White House Easter Egg Roll.

Hunter attended the annual White House event for the second year in a row as House Republicans have begun scrutinizing his foreign business deals as part of a broader view of “Biden family influence peddling,” the wording that became used by House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer.

Baby Beau was adopted by his grandmother, Dr. Biden, enlisted to help her read the book, Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?

“This is Beau, my grandson,” the first lady told the crowd, after telling the toddler. Thank you Beau. Thanks for reading with Nana.”

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and his husband Chasten brought their twins Penelope and Gus to the Easter Egg Roll and posed for photos with the youngsters during the egg roll game.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken took his young children to the reading nook and was seen standing with Hunter’s wife Melissa Cohen as Dr. Biden read to the children.

The president and first lady appeared on the Truman balcony flanked by two Easter bunnies and made brief remarks to kick off their portion of the program.

“Good morning everyone, I’m Joe Biden, Jill Biden’s husband,” the president said, repeating the oft-made joke. “Welcome to the White House – your home.”

“Easter is a time of joy, a time of rebirth, renewal, faith, hope and love,” he continued. “A time to remember that in the beauty of spring the seeds of new opportunity are planted.”

“And this spring, our future is filled with unlimited possibilities that can multiply and grow thanks to all the good people here and across the country,” the president added.

Vice President Kamala Harris and Second Lord Doug Emhoff walked the grounds with the President and First Lady.

The Easter Egg Roll lasts 12 hours, starting at 7 a.m. and not ending until 7 p.m., with about 30,000 people expected to pass through the gates of the White House.

Thousands of military and veteran families are invited, as well as caregivers and survivors, according to the White House press release.

Disney’s new “awakened” Little Mermaid, actress Halle Bailey, was announced as one of the entertainers, but did not perform while the President, First Lady, Vice President, and Second Gentleman were out.

Bailey plays Ariel in the upcoming live-action version of the Disney cartoon classic.

The film, due for release in May, has proved controversial — including changes to lyrics to reflect cultural shifts and questions about whether Ariel will prove to be enough of a feminist icon. And Bailey, who is black, fell victim to racist attacks online when the first images of her as a mermaid emerged.

Disney characters, along with those from PBS, Sesame Street, and other childhood favorites, have long been part of the White House Easter Egg Roll.

But Disney is now part of the political conversation after Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who is eyeing a presidential bid, targeted it as part of his war on “awake” culture. Disney fired back and the dispute is likely to make headlines next year.

Jill Biden, a teacher, is trying to keep the focus of Monday’s event off politics and education.

She is again calling her event an “EGGucational” day, noting in a Twitter post that it will be a day “where kids and their families will learn, explore and have fun at the White House.”

In honor of the theme, NASA sent one of the wooden Official White House Easter Eggs to the International Space Station, where astronauts used it to demonstrate the laws of gravity.

Other cartoon characters, celebrities, and athletes roaming the White House grounds during the role include:

There will be several stations on the South Lawn to teach kids about farming, healthier eating, exercise and more. There is a reading corner, a talent show and a field trip to a farm for children to experience.

Families from the USS Delaware and USS Gabrielle Giffords—two Navy ships that Jill Biden is sponsoring—will be in attendance.

Tickets for the general public were distributed through an online lottery.

The American Egg Board donated about 30,000 eggs for the traditional egg race, in which children use wooden spoons to roll the eggs in a race across the South Lawn.

The White House Easter Egg Roll dates back to 1878.

It was canceled in the first year of the Biden administration due to the COVID-19 pandemic.