Busted: Despite Denials, KJP Is Subtly Reframing the Joe-Hunter Business Ties Narrative
President Joe Biden seems to be shifting his claim that he never discussed overseas business dealings with his son Hunter.
Devon Archer, Hunter’s ex-business partner, is set to testify before the House Oversight Committee on Monday. His testimony will include all the times he saw the president speak with Hunter’s business associates, according to the Daily Mail.
Joe Biden has publicly stated that he has never spoken with his son about his foreign business dealings.
“I have never discussed with my son or my brother or anyone else anything having to do with their business,” he said while campaigning for president in August 2019, according to Fox News.
He repeated the claim the next month when questioned by Fox News reporter Peter Doocy.
“I have never spoken to my son about his overseas business dealings,” Biden said. “Everybody’s looked at it and said there’s nothing there.”
Biden again denied speaking to his son about business in October 2019.
Now, as Archer appears set to reveal the true extent of Joe Biden’s involvement in Hunter’s business dealings, the White House’s rhetoric on the matter has changed.
A reporter at Monday’s White House news briefing asked press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre if the president “[stands] behind his comment that he’s never been involved and has never even spoken to his son about his business.”
“I’ve been asked this question a million times. The answer is not going to change. The answer remains the same: The president was never in business with his son. I just don’t have anything else to add,” Jean-Pierre responded.
🚨 NEW: The White House says Joe Biden “was never in business with his son.”
This comes just hours after Hunter Biden’s ex-business partner revealed then-VP Joe Biden spoke by phone with Hunter’s overseas business partners AT LEAST 24 TIMES.
Joe Biden even USED TAXPAYER… pic.twitter.com/9QJvDDbvzi
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) July 24, 2023
Despite the subtle pivot, Jean-Pierre insisted on Wednesday that “nothing has changed.”
“The president has previously said that he has never discussed overseas business dealings with his son,” Real Clear Politics reporter Philip Wegmann told Jean-Pierre.
“But the White House now says that the president has never been in business with his son. So why the updated language? Which statement is true? Or is this semantics and they’re both true?” he asked.
“Nothing has changed,” the press secretary replied. “You could ask me a million different ways on this question. Nothing has changed.”
Archer is not the only one with evidence that Joe Biden was more closely involved in Hunter’s business affairs than he would like to admit.
IRS whistleblower Gary Shapley has uncovered a WhatsApp message dating back to July 2017 in which Hunter appeared to shake down Chinese businessman Henry Zhao in the presence of his father.
“I am sitting here with my father and we would like to understand why the commitment made has not been fulfilled,” Hunter wrote.
“Tell the director that I would like to resolve this now before it gets out of hand, and now means tonight. And, Z, if I get a call or text from anyone involved in this other than you, Zhang, or the chairman, I will make certain that between the man sitting next to me and every person he knows and my ability to forever hold a grudge that you will regret not following my direction.”
“I am sitting here waiting for the call with my father.”
Truth and Accuracy
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.
