House Republicans contend that the deviation in wording now employed at the White House reflects a strategy to distance the president from Hunter Biden ahead of potentially damaging new testimony.
Biden told Fox News on the campaign trail in September 2020, "I have never spoken to my son about his overseas business dealings," a categorical denial he later repeated the next month in a radio interview with WBZ Boston when he said, "I don't discuss business with my son." But the verbiage shifted in June when Ian Sams, a spokesman for the White House counsel's office, told the Washington Examiner, "As we have said many times before, the president was not in business with his son." On Tuesday, the White House press secretary repeated that line.
"The facts are the facts," Stefanik told RCP. "The White House has changed their statement on Hunter Biden. The American people are smart and no matter how many times the Biden White House claims otherwise, they know that the White House is lying." While administration aides have repeatedly side-stepped questions about Hunter Biden's business dealings with Ukrainian and Chinese businesses, citing the fact that the president's son "Is a private citizen," this is not the first time the president's inner circle has insisted that the father and son were not business partners.
"Joe Biden has never even considered being involved in business with his family, nor in any overseas business whatsoever." The White House has only recently returned to that language.
House Republicans were already doing a close reading of previous White House statements when Jean-Pierre, asked about the New York Post report, said Monday that the president "Was never in business with his son." Led by Stefanik, House Oversight Chairman James Comer of Kentucky, Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan of Ohio, and Ways and Means Chairman Jason Smith of Missouri sent a letter to the White House demanding answers about their updated language.
House Republicans allege that the shift in language came after the House Oversight Committee discovered messages between Hunter Biden and a Chinese business associate where the president's son alleged that he was "Sitting here with my father and we would like to understand why the commitment made has not been fulfilled." Stefanik told RCP that they have not heard back from the Biden administration.
"The White House Counsel has until tomorrow to respond to our oversight letter demanding answers to Joe Biden's involvement in Hunter Biden's shady foreign business practices," she said before adding, "We will not stop until all of the corruption comes to light and accountability is served." The White House referred reporters to the DOJ and to Hunter Biden's legal representatives Wednesday, describing his legal trouble "As a personal matter for him." "As we have said, the president, the first lady, they love their son, and they support him as he continues to rebuild his life," Jean-Pierre said to kick off the briefing.
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