A Democratic representative diverged from his party’s stance over the weekend, asserting his belief that Hunter Biden, the first son, is “clearly” culpable of committing offenses. Rep. Jim Himes of Connecticut presented his case, but not without criticizing Republicans and former President Donald Trump.
Himes stated to MSNBC, “I want to express something you never heard from a Republican member of Congress during the Trump administration – if Hunter Biden violated the law, he should face legal action. It’s evident that he contravened tax regulations and potentially possessed an unlicensed firearm. He must be held accountable for these actions.”
“Furthermore, if he leveraged his father’s influence, he should face consequences. I’m stressing this because we never witnessed a Republican making a similar statement about Donald Trump or his family,” Himes continued.
Himes further contended that thus far, there is no evidence connecting Joe Biden to his son’s transgressions. This assertion might be challenged, as Republicans have publicly claimed to have access to FBI documents from “highly reliable” sources suggesting the transfer of tens of millions of potentially illicit funds to both individuals – although these allegations have yet to be presented in court, and neither of them has been charged with any crimes.
Joe Biden has repeatedly maintained that he possessed no knowledge of his son’s business dealings.
CNN anchor Jake Tapper also recently questioned Joe Biden concerning these allegations.
During a roundtable discussion about a potential political “blind spot” President Joe Biden might have concerning his son as they approach the 2024 campaign cycle, Tapper aired two separate clips from the 2020 debates where then-President Donald Trump and then-Democratic nominee Biden engaged in heated arguments. Trump accused Hunter of amassing wealth through business interests in nations like China and Ukraine, a charge Biden vigorously denied.
Tapper initiated the segment by saying, “Let’s shift our focus to the Biden administration. Jeff [Zeleny], you have some new insights suggesting that President Biden might possess a blind spot, as per the views of those around him, concerning his son Hunter Biden’s legal challenges and the potential impact on his re-election ambitions. What’s your perspective?”
“Well, indeed, the President was hoping to put this matter behind him. They were optimistic about the plea agreement going through, among other things. However, it appears that a trial will likely unfold simultaneously with the presidential campaign. Adding to this, there’s a second special counsel investigation, in addition to the one already probing the President for classified documents,” Zeleny replied.
He continued:
The point, based on conversations with several advisors, is that this topic doesn’t come up in discussions around the President’s circle because they believe voters are not interested. They reckon that the electorate is more concerned about the economy and other issues. Their assessment is probably accurate. Nonetheless, we’re aware that the Hunter Biden situation will be central to Republican debates and their talking points in the upcoming weeks and beyond. The question is, how do undecided voters perceive Hunter Biden? Currently, they haven’t necessarily linked or attributed his conduct to the President. They tend to express sympathy towards him.
However, could there be a blind spot directly concerning him and the campaign, given that this topic is off-limits? You can’t broach the subject of Hunter Biden. We’ll see. This will undoubtedly emerge as a focal point in the upcoming debate.
“Yes, and Kristen, Glenn Kessler of The Washington Post conducted a fact-check earlier this month concerning Joe Biden. Kessler highlighted that in July, Hunter Biden acknowledged in court that he indeed received substantial payments from Chinese companies,” Tapper responded.
“Kessler stated that Hunter Biden reported approximately $2.4 million in earnings in 2017 and $2.2 million in 2018, a significant portion of which came from Chinese or Ukrainian interests. This stands in direct contradiction to Joe Biden’s statements during the 2020 debate with Donald Trump. Let’s listen,” he concluded.
