KJP Left Rattled as Peter Doocy Successfully Strikes Nerve with Hunter Biden Question
By now, Karine Jean-Pierre must be exhausted from tiptoeing on eggshells.
On Wednesday, the incompetent White House press secretary appeared flustered following a tactically skillful set of questions from her nemesis, Fox News correspondent Peter Doocy.
“Hunter Biden on Capitol Hill today, how big of a headache is that for you?” Doocy began.
The president’s son made a surprise appearance at a House Oversight Committee hearing earlier in the day. But he also made a spectacle of himself by abruptly leaving rather than answer questions from Republicans.
Afterward, the GOP advanced a resolution to hold the younger Biden in contempt.
Doocy’s approach, therefore, was a brilliant move. Indeed, the framing of the question implied sympathy for KJP’s daily plight. It was as if Doocy said, “I understand. You should not have to deal with questions about President Biden’s ne’er-do-well son. I feel sorry for you.”
Thus disarmed by Doocy’s show of apparent sympathy, the press secretary relaxed and even laughed.
“Hunter Biden is a private citizen. He is not a member of the White House, as you know. And I just don’t have anything else to share,” KJP replied.
Doocy then turned up the heat.
“But the last time he was on the Hill, you said the president was certainly familiar with what his son was going to say,” the reporter countered.
The press secretary’s smile vanished and her countenance stiffened.
On Dec. 13 — the “last time” Hunter went to Capitol Hill — the president’s son defied a congressional subpoena to testify in private about his business dealings. Instead — as if to taunt House Republicans — he simply spoke to the media outside the Capitol.
Later that day, when asked about Hunter’s act of defiance, KJP volunteered more than she should have.
“The president was certainly familiar with what his son was going to say,” the press secretary said at the time.
Legal scholar Jonathan Turley called it a “breathtaking mistake” that could expose the president to impeachment on obstruction charges.
Hence the press secretary’s sudden change of demeanor on Wednesday when faced with Doocy’s line of questioning.
“I did say that, and here’s — and what I’m saying today,” she began before Doocy interrupted her to press his advantage.
“So is it the official line that President Biden does not help him with his business deals, but he does help him skirt congressional subpoenas?” the reporter asked.
“That is not even true. That is a jump that is … that is incredibly disingenuous in that question,” KJP replied.
“Then help us out. Just tell us what the president knew,” Doocy insisted.
The press secretary refused.
Meanwhile, the House Oversight Committee noticed the exchange and posted a 42-second clip of it Wednesday on the social media platform X.
“Now, @PressSec refuses to answer questions about President Biden’s knowledge about the stunt his son did today. Americans deserve to know President Biden’s role in his son’s obstruction of Congress,” the Oversight Committee posted in part.
Last month, @PressSec stated President Biden was aware of his son’s plan to blow off his deposition.@RepJamesComer & @Jim_Jordan then launched an investigation into whether President Biden sought to obstruct his son from complying with the subpoenas.
Now, @PressSec refuses to… pic.twitter.com/83UoRwlU8I
— Oversight Committee (@GOPoversight) January 10, 2024
Doocy’s deft approach constitutes one element of this story. Coaxing a laugh from the overmatched press secretary before putting her on her heels seconds later was impressive to see.
If KJP grew flustered over questions about the president’s son, however, who can blame her?
Hunter’s business dealings, after all, have involved his father to a degree that could result in the president’s impeachment.
Business dealings aside, the president’s son has exhibited a repellent character. And he behaves as if the law cannot touch him because of his family name.
In the fourth episode of “Tucker Carlson on X,” posted to the social media platform on June 15, Carlson compared Hunter Biden to the sons of a notorious dictator.
“Saddam Hussein had Uday and Qusay. They were princelings who lived above the law, indulging their most decadent fantasies with total confidence they would be never held to account by the police,” Carlson said.
The conservative commentator then showed two pictures of the president’s son looking strung out and debauched.
Ep. 4 Wannabe Dictator pic.twitter.com/MDcs5g0gxB
— Tucker Carlson (@TuckerCarlson) June 15, 2023
Carlson’s larger point? Hunter Biden behaves the way the offspring of brutal dictators have behaved.
No wonder KJP grows flustered by simple questions about the president’s son.
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