Biden Snaps at Reporter Asking Him About His Alleged Ukrainian Bribery Scheme
President Joe Biden was not amused Thursday when he was asked about allegations of his involvement in a bribery deal.
Biden held a White House meeting on so-called “junk fees,” which are fees added on to such things as concert tickets that represent a hidden cost to consumers, according to the Associated Press.
Biden made opening remarks at the event, during which he was asked by a reporter, “Why did the Ukraine and FBI informant file refer to you as the ‘Big Guy,’ President Biden? Why is that term continuously applied?”
“Why do you ask such a dumb question?” Biden replied.
REPORTER: “Why did the Ukraine and FBI informant file refer to you as the Big Guy?”
JOE BIDEN: “Why’d you ask such a dumb question?”
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) June 15, 2023
Fox News noted that members of the media were escorted out of the room after Biden made the comment.
As noted by the New York Post, Biden was referred to as the “Big Guy” in a 2020 file that contained allegations made to the FBI by an informant who was relaying comments made about Biden from the time in which he was vice president. The file was in the possession of the FBI and was recently shared with congressional Republicans investigating the Biden family’s finances.
The phrase “big guy” was used in an apparent reference to Joe Biden in a May 2017 email found on the laptop computer of Hunter Biden. Two of Hunter Biden’s former business partners have also used the phrase in connection with Joe Biden.
Biden’s reply came two days after an interaction with a reporter on the same topic, according to the New York Post.
“Are there tapes that you accepted bribes, President Biden? Is that true?” Biden was asked then.
The Post’s characterization of the incident, which has been posted to Twitter, was that Biden “turned around with a smile on his face — then seemed to chuckle to himself and shook his head as he turned to walk away without saying a word.”
President Biden turned and grinned — without saying a word — tonight when I asked about @ChuckGrassley saying alleged Ukrainian bribe-giver claims to have tapes https://t.co/R2mhPKUt3Y pic.twitter.com/Z8JI7pENzq
— Steven Nelson (@stevennelson10) June 13, 2023
Last week, Biden brushed off questions concerning allegations against him that were made to the FBI and reviewed by lawmakers.
“Where’s the money?” Biden replied, adding, “I’m joking, it’s a bunch of malarkey.”
On Monday, Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa claimed that a Ukrainian energy company executive who told a confidential FBI source of having bribed Hunter Biden and his father during the years Joe Biden was vice president has audio proof of dealings with them.
Grassley said from the Senate floor the individual who paid the duo kept recordings of them — 17 in total — as an “insurance policy” in case they were needed in the future.
“According to the 1023, the foreign national possesses 15 audio recordings of phone calls between him and Hunter Biden. According to the 1023, the foreign national possesses two audio recordings of phone calls between him and then-Vice President Joe Biden,” Grassley said, according to Fox News, referring to the FBI FD-1023 form that includes the unverified allegations about the deal.
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