CNN host Jake Tapper pressured House Democrat Dan Goldman on whether or not the President should stop stating that his son, Hunter Biden, did ‘nothing wrong.’
Goldman, who did an incredible amount of spin on his own when he suggested President Biden only discussed the “weather” during meetings and phone calls with Hunter’s business associates, discussed the matter further with Tapper on Sunday.
“I understand this is a dad talking about his son,” Tapper told Goldman. “But it’s also the President of the United States talking about a potential defendant in a case that his Justice Department is prosecuting.”
“Also, he was about to plead guilty to some of the things he did wrong. Does the president need to stop publicly saying his son did nothing wrong?” he asked.
CNN’s Jake Tapper to Levi Strauss heir Dan Goldman: “Does the President need to stop publicly saying his son did nothing wrong?” pic.twitter.com/gEcP7G6OC6
— Kevin Tober (@KevinTober94) August 13, 2023
Jake Tapper: Biden Needs to Stop Pretending Hunter Did Nothing Wrong
Jake Tapper’s comments were in response to President Biden insisting as recently as May of this year that Hunter had “done nothing wrong.”
As rumors were swirling that Hunter could be charged following a federal investigation over tax crimes and an illegal gun purchase, the President told MSNBC’s Stephanie Ruhle that his son was innocent.
“First of all, my son has done nothing wrong,” he said. “I trust him. I have faith in him.”
RUHLE: Your son, while there’s no ties to you, could be charged by your Dept of Justice. How will that impact your presidency?
JOE: First of all, my son’s done nothing wrong. I trust him, I have faith in him, and it impacts my presidency by making me feel proud of him. pic.twitter.com/2nVkVGwM9o
— Tim Graham (@TimJGraham) May 6, 2023
One month later, Hunter was the recipient of a sweetheart plea deal in which he would have had to plead guilty to a pair of misdemeanor tax charges but had a felony charge related to lying on a firearm background check dropped pending a probationary term.
Politico reported at the time that the plea deal gave President Biden “great comfort” but there was no indication of an admission that he had, in fact, done some things wrong.
“Though President Biden had earlier insisted that his son had ‘done nothing wrong,’ members of Biden’s inner circle took great comfort in knowing that, with a guilty plea, Hunter likely would not serve prison time,” they wrote.
Inside the White House’s — and Biden’s own — relief over the Hunter plea deal https://t.co/qeAGrd074U
— POLITICO (@politico) June 20, 2023
President Biden also repeatedly insisted he was proud of Hunter for taking ownership of his actions.
“The president himself privately told confidants that he was proud of his son for taking responsibility for his actions,” Politico wrote.
A Lot of Unlawful Things
The aforementioned plea deal eventually fell through in dramatic fashion, culminating with the riveting news on Friday that Attorney General Merrick Garland had appointed a special counsel to investigate Hunter.
Critics have been quick to note that the special counsel, David Weiss, was the same prosecutor who presented the sweetheart arrangement in the first place and bent over backward more than a Russian gymnast to lessen the punishment.
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The House Oversight Committee believes Garland’s move is an attempt to stop their investigation into the Biden family.
? STATEMENT ON SPECIAL COUNSEL ?
The DOJ is attempting a Biden family coverup.
Moments ago, AG Garland announced he is designating U.S. Attorney for Delaware David Weiss as special counsel for the Biden criminal investigation. This is part of the DOJ’s efforts to attempt a…
— Oversight Committee (@GOPoversight) August 11, 2023
Goldman replied to Jake Tapper’s accidental journalism by reviving the tired line that Hunter Biden is simply a private citizen and his corruption has no bearing on the President.
“The President has been very clear that he’s gonna let the process play out. What we do know is that through all of the investigations in Congress, they are simply investigating a private citizen,” Goldman said.
He also advised that Congress “stop investigating a private citizen and stop this fishing expedition to try to link President Biden to Hunter Biden’s conduct when there is no evidence to support that.”
On the contrary, there is plenty of evidence linking the President to his son’s lucrative business ventures.
According to reported photographs, visitor logs, and other documentation, President Biden personally met with at least 14 of Hunter’s business associates over 16 occasions between 2010 and 2018 – including associates from China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, and Mexico.
After opposing every effort to investigation the Biden corruption scandal, Rep. Jamie Raskin admitted that Hunter “did a lot of really unlawful and wrong things.” Yet, Raskin and his colleagues still are demanding an end of further investigations in the Biden corruption scandal.
— Jonathan Turley (@JonathanTurley) August 13, 2023
Tapper wouldn’t let up, pointing to President Biden’s “major lapse in judgment.”
“Shouldn’t President Biden have realized what Hunter was doing here, getting on the phone, talking on speakerphone with his business associates?” Tapper wondered.
“Didn’t he at the very least show a major lapse in judgment and a blind spot with his son and how he handled this?”
Representative Jamie Raskin (D-MD) grudgingly admitted Hunter has done some “unlawful things.”
“We’ve all seen clear that this guy was addicted to drugs and did a lot of really unlawful and wrong things,” Raskin said.
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