Two days after ABC’s Good Morning AmericaAmy Robach, co-host aired what our Tim Graham called an interview with Hunter Biden’s ex-wife Kathleen Buhle featuring “preposterously vague” questions and “carefully curated” answers, Thursday’s CBS Mornings sunk lower in ignoring topics such as Hunter’s infamous laptop and his alleged child out of wedlock.
Instead, Mason — who, RobachThe previous Interview Hunter — focused on Hunter’s spiraling after his brother Beau’s death, his affair with said brother’s widow, and vague discussions about Hunter’s “finances.” Worse yet, co-host Tony Dokoupil falsely claimed that Hunter’s “become a frequent headline in the news.”
As we’ve repeatedly documented, that claim holds zero weightWhen looking at broadcast networks.
Nate Burleson, co-host of the show, hyped the interview right at the start. “The struggles of President Biden’s son Hunter are well documented, including by federal investigators. Kathleen Buhle (his ex-wife) is sharing her story with Anthony Mason… [him] writing the book has helped her let go.”
Dokoupil made his pants-on-fire claim in the lead-in to Mason’s interview:
The ex-wife and son of President Biden, Hunter, will be our first guest. This is her story. Hunter Biden is a well-known name in recent news as investigators investigate his international business dealings. Kathleen Buhle had been married to Biden for 24 years. She divorced him after going through what she describes as years of hardships. Now, she has a brand new book.
Mason began with how the two met and what he was like for the first decade of their marriage before moving to when there were signs of trouble (click “expand”):
MASON: Hunter went to rehab in 2003 because of a drinking problem. Seven years later, Hunter would relapse and their relationship would slowly unravel.
BUHLE
MASON: Right. MASON: Right. He did not put vodka on his table. However, you found alcohol bottles in your drawers. A crack pipe was found. A series of clues leads you to the crack pipe.
BUHLE : Yes. At that point, he had vanished. When I found the — the crack pipe, Beau had just died. His addiction was as bad as it — it was escalating —
MASON: Mmhmm.
BUHLE: — but during that time, finding liquor bottles, he was just — he was in an awful place.
Once Buhle alluded to Hunter’s problems really began during “a painful, painful time for our whole family,” Mason used that to focus on Beau’s passing and how that meant Hunter “lost his best friend and Kathleen had lost her closest ally.”
“He was a brother to me. According to the book, Hunter loved him as much, as I do. And just didn’t have any judgment,” Buhle also added.
The conversation then moved to Hunter’s affair with Hallie (click “expand”):
MASON: The breaking point came when their then-18-year-old daughter Finnigan called Kathleen and said, “we found his phone,” and on it texts proving Hunter was having an affair with Beau’s widow, Hallie Biden.
BUHLE: When I found out he was having an affair — with — um, our sister-in-law, at that point, I had been losing my mind for the last year and a half trying to make sense of what was going on. And in a strange way, it was like, finally — I don’t — I don’t love him anymore.
MASON: Have you spoken to your sister in-law since then? What did you do?
BUHLE You don’t have to divorce the children.
MASON: Oh, no.
BUHLE All of us were extremely close.
MASON: Yeah.
BUHLE (And it was painful for quite some time).
MASON: Buhle didn’t respond to that question, and she never mentioned her sister-in law’s name during our interview.
The closet Mason and Buhle got to Hunter’s life of corruption was her insistence she was in the dark on the family’s finances and, while she wasn’t subpoenaed or called before the grand jury as part of the U.S. Attorney in Delaware’s probe, she “talked to certain investigators”
Mason wrapped the interview by wondering whether Hunter “[made] amends with you.” Buhle dodged it, saying what she’s learned “from writing the book…is me letting go, my forgiveness” and that they’ve seen each at functions celebrating their daughters.
You are now back online CBS Saturday MorningMichelle Miller was a co-host and asked Mason to explain why she wrote it. Mason answered with a fascinating and crucial qualifier. “I think she wrote the book to tell her part of the story. She avoids getting too deep into the Biden family or how they responded. She said they’ve been great to the kids.”
Given how there was never a divorce settlement, her refusal to criticize the Biden family (other than Hallie), and that both ABC and CBS had the same person interview Buhle that did the same with Hunter, Buhle’s book tour has left plenty of questions on the table.
Adverts like Crest and Meta enabled this soft interview. Follow the links to see their contact information at the MRC’s Conservatives Fight Back page.
To see the relevant CBS transcript from June 16, click “expand.”
CBS Mornings
June 16, 2022
Eastern at 7:02 [TEASE][ON-SCREEN HEADLINES: Kathleen Buhle]
NATE BURLESON – The difficulties of Hunter Biden, President Obama’s son are well documented by federal investigators. Kathleen Buhle is now telling Anthony Mason her story as his ex-wife.
ANTHONY MASON – You stated that you had learned there weren’t just one Hunter. There were two Hunters. But there were many.
KATHLEEN BUHLE : Yes. Well, don’t smoke crack.
BURLESON – There is a lot of information to be unpacked.
TONY DOKOUPIL – Wow.
MICHELLE MILLER : Mmmm.
BURLESON: She shares with Anthony Mason her experience of letting go by writing this book.
DOKOUPIL: Wow.
(….)
Eastern: 7:52 am [TEASE]
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Ahead; Kathleen Buhle]
BURLESON: If you are hungry for more show, don’t you go anywhere because ahead, Anthony Mason has a revealing conversation with Kathleen Buhle, the wife of Hunter Biden about real — resilience and healing.
(….)
Eastern, 8:00 A.M. [TEASE]
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Kathleen Buhle]
TONY DOKOUPIL – Hunter Biden’s exwife Kathleen Buhle. She talks to our Anthony Mason — tells him what it took to move on and heal.
(….)
Eastern 8:02 AM
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Hunter Biden’s Struggles; Ex-Wife Discusses Biden’s Infidelity & Addiction Battle in New Memoir]
DOKOUPIL – We will begin the hour with Hunter, ex-wife and President Biden’s son. Her story is being told. Hunter Biden is a well-known name in recent news as investigators investigate his international business dealings. Kathleen Buhle had been married to Biden for 24 years. She divorced him after years of financial difficulties. Now, she has a new book. It’s called The Memoir Of Marriage, Addiction and Healing: If We BreakThe book is about her husband’s addiction, and how it led to their separation. Anthony Mason sat down with Buhle ahead of the book’s release.
MASON: Hunter was your Jesuit Volunteer Corps colleague in 1992.
BUHLE: Yep.
MASON: The attraction was?
BUHLE. He was so sophisticated, charming and mature. His treatment of me was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced.
MASON: Kathleen Buhle was married to Hunter Biden the year after. She says she was very happy early on. The couple had three kids, Naomi, Finnigan, as well as Maizy. Hunter was sent to rehabilitation in 2003 after he developed a problem with alcohol. Seven years later, Hunter would relapse and their relationship would slowly unravel.
BUHLE
MASON: Right. MASON: Right. He did not put vodka on his table. However, you found alcohol bottles in your drawers. A crack pipe was found. A series of clues leads you to the crack pipe.
BUHLE : Yes. He was gone at that moment. When I found the — the crack pipe, Beau had just died. His addiction was as bad as it — it was escalating —
MASON: Mmhmm.
BUHLE: — but during that time, finding liquor bottles, he was just — he was in an awful place. Our entire family was affected by this terrible time.
MASON: Beau Biden, Hunter’s best friend, and Kathleen her close ally died from brain cancer in 2015.
BUHLE: He was my brother. According to the book, Hunter loved him as much, as I do.
MASON: Uh-huh.
BUHLE
MASON: Kathleen soon discovered Hunter had been cheating on her with many women. [TO BUHLE]Although you claimed that you had learned there weren’t just one or two Hunters to choose from, there was a wide variety of Hunters.
BUHLE: Right. Well, don’t smoke crack.
MASON: The breaking point came when their then-18-year-old daughter Finnigan called Kathleen and said, “we found his phone,” and on it texts proving Hunter was having an affair with Beau’s widow, Hallie Biden.
BUHLE: When I found out he was having an affair — with — um, our sister-in-law, at that point, I had been losing my mind for the last year and a half trying to make sense of what was going on. And in a strange way, it was like, finally — I don’t — I don’t love him anymore.
MASON: Have you spoken to your sister in-law since then? What did you do?
BUHLE You don’t have to divorce the children.
MASON: Oh, no.
BUHLE All of us were extremely close.
MASON: Yeah.
BUHLE: It was long and painful.
MASON: Buhle didn’t respond to that question, and she never mentioned her sister-in law’s name during our interview. [TO BUHLE] You talk about finances and how you largely left that to — to Hunter. What did you know about the financial position?
BOHLE: My head was buried deep in the sand.
MASON. In Delaware, the U.S. Department of Justice opened an investigation into Hunter’s 2018 taxes and business transactions. CBS News received a subpoena from CBS News, which revealed that they wanted bank records going back to 2014, while Hunter was still married. [TO BUHLE]Did you get subpoenaed during this investigation
BUHLE – Even though I was subpoenaed I didn’t mind so much as burying my head in the sand. I really have nothing to add.
MASON: Are you being subpoenaed?
BUHLE – I was not subpoenaed. I’ve talked to certain investigators, but I’ve not been —
MASON: Mmhmm.
BUHLE: — subpoenaed. I mean, I guess I — I haven’t been subpoenaed to appear before the grand jury.
MASON: Right.
BUTLE: I was interrogated because I had been married to him for over 24 years.
MASON: Did you ever worry that this could happen?
BUHLE: No. He did not say much. I confess that this is because it embarrasses me.
MASON: A person who is addicted must seek to make amends for any harm done. Hunter, when I spoke to him, said he’d done that. Is he trying to make amends for you?
BUHLE: I discovered that writing this book made it so important for me to let go and forgive. He feels terrible about his actions. It’s difficult to accept that. So I’m — I hope he’s in a good place. Yes, I do. But we come together for, you know, my — my daughters are now young adults.
MASON: Yes.
BUHLE – We meet up for graduations and have a big wedding planned.
MASON: Yes. That’s why you are looking forward to November’s wedding.
BUHLE – At the White House
MASON: Yeah.
BUHLE: So I’m pretty sure it will be — go pretty smoothly.
MASON: CBS News reached Hunter Biden (and Hallie Biden) to obtain a statement regarding this report. They declined to respond. The White House declined to respond. Evidently, Kathleen Buhle had a lot of experiences with this. She ends the book with a grim reminder that things get worse. With less than a year after she was — after she filed for divorce, she was diagnosed with stage-three colon cancer.
BURLESON: Whoa.
MILLER: Gosh.
MASON: Her health is good right now. However, her experience with that book taught her one thing. You can do worse.
MILLER: Yeah.
DOKOUPIL: There’s so much in the sentence. It talks about the wedding.
MILLER: Yes.
BURLESON: Yes.
DOKOUPIL is pretty certain it will work out well.
MILLER: Pretty.
DOKOUPIL: You’re never quite sure when a family member’s —
MASON: Yeah.
DOKOUPIL: — in recovery.
MILLER – What’s the Why? MILLER: Why did she write this particular book?
BURELSON
MASON: She wrote it to tell her story. She is careful to not get too deeply involved in the Biden families and their reactions to her. She stated that they have been great for the kids. But she wanted — she — she acknowledges the mistakes she made in all of this, including not knowing what the finances were and trying too hard in some respects to get Hunter sober. According to her, she realized that a person must want to be sober.
BURLESON: Yeah.
MASON: They can’t force them to do it, and she is very harsh about herself because of that.
BURLESON: I don’t want to be dismissive to Kathleen because I know she’s been through a lot —
MASON: Yeah.
BURLESON: — but how are the kids doing?
MASON: She thinks the children are doing well. It’s a shame that she was not more open with them. It was something she kept very secret.
BURLESON: Like most parents do.
MASON, Like many people. And she thinks the kids could have handled it and — and that she wishes she was more honest with them —
BURLESON: Yeah.
MASON: — along the way.
MILLER: Mmmm.
BURLESON – Powerful interview. Amazing questions.
DOKOUPIL: Yeah.
MILLER: Right.
BURLESON – Anthony, we are so grateful.
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