Here are the three main takeaways from Biden's Thursday visit. One of Biden's greatest strengths is rooted in his own trauma It's no secret that the president has faced horrors of his own throughout his 40-year political career. He frequently talks about the deaths of his first wife, Neilia, their 1-year-old daughter, Naomi, and eldest son, Beau. He cited Beau's military service and unrelated death while paying tribute to the families of U.S. service members during a speech at Royal Air Force Mildenhall just last month. But Thursday marked the latest time Biden took it upon himself to meet with families grieving their own tragic losses behind closed doors, with no press visibility.