KJP Bolts from Podium as Reporter Presses About Biden's Encounters with Hunter's 'Foreign Business Associates'
House Republicans’ impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden already has administration officials acting annoyed and lying more than usual.
On Wednesday, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre fielded questions from reporters for the first time since House Speaker Kevin McCarthy on Tuesday announced the inquiry into what he called a “culture of corruption” surrounding Biden and his family over son Hunter Biden’s business dealings.
“Fielded” becomes the operative word here. In fact, Jean-Pierre deflected impeachment questions and then bolted the podium while ignoring one reporter who asked about the president’s interactions with his son Hunter’s “foreign business associates.”
Over the course of her 15-minute news conference, Jean-Pierre’s mounting irritation became palpable.
At first, she appeared confident in her talking points.
For instance, she referred to a “baseless inquiry that the House Republicans can’t even really defend themselves.” This reflected the White House’s initial strategy of pointing to a handful of House Republicans who have wavered on impeachment.
She then moved on to “Bidenomics,” a laughable shorthand for a subject in which the reporters showed no interest. Impeachment questions kept coming.
The Republicans have no evidence, she insisted. “And that’s because the president didn’t do anything wrong.”
Later, she claimed that the inquiry is “not about the truth. There is no truth here.”
Such categorical assertions of the president’s innocence do raise eyebrows. One wonders if Jean-Pierre herself believes them.
In any case, one reporter mercifully redirected the conversation to recent natural disasters in Morocco and Libya. Here the beleaguered press secretary read from a prepared statement that expressed condolences and promised pecuniary relief to victims. No doubt the people of Maui would have appreciated something similar last month.
Alas, another pesky reporter raised the impeachment issue again.
“You suggested that there’s no evidence to back up the Republicans –” the reporter’s question began before interruption from the podium.
“Which is true. I’m not suggesting it. That’s actually a fact,” Jean-Pierre interjected.
The press secretary took one more question.
“On the memo that was sent out to news organizations about covering this impeachment inquiry, can you give us some background into the decision-making of why you thought sending that was necessary?” the reporter asked.
How refreshing to learn that at least one member of the White House press corps resents manipulation! Naturally, Jean-Pierre referred the question to the White House Counsel.
Having had enough of impeachment-related questions, Jean-Pierre ended the press conference.
As she walked away from the podium, however, a frustrated reporter shouted two more.
“Can you explain why the president interacted with so many of his son’s foreign business associates?” the reporter asked.
Receiving no reply, he persisted.
“More than half of voters told CNN they believe the president was involved and he lied. You can’t have a response to that, Karine?”
She ignored him as she swiftly left the room.
Jean-Pierre’s palpable annoyance showed that her talking points could take her only so far.
At first, her references to impeachment-averse House Republicans seemed to have her feeling confident.
When the normally reliable establishment media minions showed no interest in her “Bidenomics” claptrap, however, she betrayed her first signs of irritation.
Then, she interrupted a question about evidence and bristled at the reporter’s use of the word “suggested.”
“I’m not suggesting it. That’s actually a fact,” Jean-Pierre said.
Not even the lapdog media could swallow that assertion. In fact, Republicans have uncovered evidence proving, at minimum, that the president lied about having no knowledge of his son’s business dealings.
As Republican Rep. Scott Perry of Pennsylvania explained at a Tuesday news conference, the evidence goes well beyond Biden’s obvious lies.
Jean-Pierre should prepare to deal with many more of these questions for the foreseeable future.
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