Reporters grill White House spox over latest Hunter Biden developments
Reporters took turns grilling White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre about the latest developments in the growing Hunter Biden scandal.
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre was bombarded with questions pertaining to the growing Hunter Biden scandal at Friday's press briefing.
The House Ways and Means Committee released explosive testimony from IRS whistleblowers who alleged misconduct in the handling of the tax probe investigating President Biden's son. Among the findings was an alleged WhatsApp text message Hunter Biden sent to a Chinese business associate using his father as part of what Republicans say was an illicit scheme. The White House Counsel's Office repeated its claim that the president "was not in business with his son" and that Justice Department decisions in its investigations are done "independently" without White House involvement.
After National Security Council spokesman John Kirby shot down one question about whether the president was involved in his son's business dealings, Jean-Pierre was repeatedly confronted with similar inquiries.
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"The president invited his son Hunter to the state dinner last night," CNN correspondent Jeremy Diamond began, referring to the White House event with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "I'm wondering if you could take us into the thinking and decision-making why the president decided to – "
"I'm just not going to get into family discussion, personal family discussion," Jean-Pierre responded. "As you know, Hunter's his son. I'm just not going to get into that."
"If Hunter Biden wasn't the president's son, would he have invited someone who had just reached a plea agreement with federal prosecutors?" Diamond asked.
"Well, a couple of things," Jean-Pierre said. "Again, that's his son. He's a family member. It is not uncommon for family members to attend events at the White House. You could look at past presidents. I'm sure you have. So that is not uncommon. As it relates to anything related to Hunter, I'm just not going to respond to it from here."
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre was bombarded with questions about the growing Hunter Biden scandal at Friday's press briefing. (hoto by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
New York Times correspondent Peter Baker then pressed the Biden spokeswoman about Kirby's refusal to answer the previous question, which Baker stressed was "reasonable" since it implicates the sitting president in a "coercive conversation for business dealings."
"If it wasn't, then maybe you should tell us," Baker said.
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So here's the thing, and I appreciate the question. I believe my colleague at the White House Counsel has answered this question already, has dealt with this, has made it very clear," Jean-Pierre responded. "I just don't have anything to share outside of what my colleagues have shared. And so I would refer you to him and the DOJ. I'm just not going to comment from here."
President Biden has snapped at reporters who have asked him about alleged corruption involving him and his son, Hunter Biden. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
"Yes or no, was the president involved in that shakedown attempt?" New York Post correspondent Steven Nelson jumped in.
"Steven, Steven, I just answered the question," she sternly replied. "It's not up to you how I answer the question. I just answered the question by telling you my colleagues at the White House Counsel have dealt with this, and I would refer you to them."
The White House press secretary also wouldn't address CBS News correspondent Weijia Jiang's question, which was what the White House Counsel's Office said in response to the latest allegations, directing her question to the counsel's office.
Newsmax's James Rosen, who previously sparred with Kirby on the Hunter Biden scandal, caught Jean-Pierre's attention.
"My question is about your statements from the podium," Rosen began. "You've stated that the president stands by his comment from the 2020 campaign that he never once discussed his son's overseas business dealings with his son. And you stood at that podium, and you reaffirm that. Do you stand by your reaffirmation?"
"I will say nothing has changed, nothing has changed. And I will leave it there," Jean-Pierre shot back. "Anything else I will refer you to the White House Counsel."
"So this is not a change?" Rosen pressed the Biden spokeswoman, which she fired back, "I just answered the question. You just asked me does my statement change? I just told you nothing has changed. That's answering the questions."
Hunter Biden and his father President Joe Biden. (Photo by Paul Morigi/Getty Images for World Food Program USA)
After swatting away Nelson's question about the president allegedly being home when the text message Hunter sent was made, Jiang asked Jean-Pierre whether he was present at the time. Jean-Pierre again referred to the counsel's office.
NBC News correspondent Monica Alba then asked whether Jean-Pierre herself had spoken with the president about the latest Hunter Biden developments, telling the reporter she had not and repeated her canned counsel's office response.
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"Do you plan on having that conversation with the president?" Alba followed.
"No," Jean-Pierre said.