The White House did its best to fend off questions about how much Joe Biden knew about his son’s business affairs on Friday, amid fresh evidence that the two may have been in cahoots.
Once again officials insisted that they stuck by their line that Biden was not involved in Hunter Biden‘s dealings.
But as reporters repeatedly asked about a newly revealed WhatsApp message, in which Hunter said he was with his father as he pursued a Chinese contact to make good on a deal, officials stonewalled.
First came National Security Council spokesman John Kirby.
‘I am not going to address this issue from this podium. I’m just not going to do it,’ he said, before concluding his portion of the briefing.
‘All right. Thanks guys. Have a great weekend.’
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre was bombarded with questions about what Joe Biden knew about his son’s business dealings during a stormy briefing on Friday
The president’s son mingled with guests in black tie at the White House on Thursday evening when he attended a state dinner for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi
Next in the firing line was Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre who said White House counsel had already dealt with the matter.
‘Nothing has changed and I will leave it there,’ she said. ‘Anything else I will refer you to the White House counsel.’
Yet plenty has changed in the view of journalists lobbing questions in the briefing room.
This week details emerged from an I.R.S. whistleblower of a WhatsApp message apparently sent by Hunter to his Chinese associate Henry Zhao in 2017.
‘I am sitting here with my father and we would like to understand why the commitment made has not been fulfilled,’ he wrote.
‘Tell the director that I would like to resolve this now before it gets out of hand, and now means tonight.’
A photograph obtained by DailyMail.com shows that he was at his father’s home on the day in question, July 30, 2017.
The president’s son was staying at the guest house of Biden’s Delaware home when he wrote to Communist Party official Henry Zhao on July 30, 2017, threatening him to follow his ‘orders’
DailyMail.com has obtained a photo of Hunter Biden outside his dad Joe’s Delaware home the day he sent damning texts to his Chinese business partner
The whistleblower account released by the Ways and Means committee includes a message by Hunter Biden seeking to threaten a Chinese business partner by invoking his father
The result was a rare show of unity among reporters in the briefing room, as one after the other found slightly different ways of asking the same question: Does the White House stand by its claims that Biden was not involved.
‘I would refer you to my colleagues at the White House counsel,’ she said. ‘They have addressed this and I refer you to them.’
Ian Sams, senior adviser to White House counsel’s office said: ‘As we have said many times before, the president was not in business with his son.’
In fact, the previous line was that the president had not discussed his son’s business dealings with him.
Instead he directed questions to a statement issued by Hunter’s lawyer suggested the WhatsApp message was not what it appeared to be.
‘Any verifiable words or actions of my client, in the midst of a horrible addiction, are solely his own and have no connection to anyone in his family,’ said Chris Clark.
Biased and politically-motivated, selective leaks have plagued this matter for years. They are not only irresponsible, they are illegal.
The president’s son attended the State Dinner for Indian PM Narendra Modi Thursday night
‘A close examination of the document released publicly yesterday by a very biased individual raises serious questions over whether it is what he claims it to be.’
This week it emerged that the president’s son had avoided jail time after a years long investigation into his tax affairs and a gun permit.
A court filing that the 53-year-old agreed to plead guilty to the misdemeanor tax charges and would enter a pretrial diversion program to avoid a more serious felony count of possessing a firearm while a drug addict.
On Thursday, he mingled with guests in black tie at a state banquet for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Jean-Pierre was asked whether it was common for people to be invited to the White House so soon after securing a plea deal.
‘That’s his son. He’s a family member,’ she said.
‘It is not uncommon for family members to attend events at the White House.
‘We could look at past presidents. I’m sure you have.
‘So that is not uncommon … as it relates to anything related to Hunter I’m just not going to respond to it from here.’
