After you have completed the following: slanted softball from NBC’s Kristen Welker during Wednesday’s White House Press Briefing, Thursday’s briefing featured substantive questions about Hunter Biden’s life of corruption to White House Communications Director Kate Bedingfield via Welker and CBS’s Ed O’Keefe and Steven Portnoy.
This time, the trio pressed on whether they stand by President Biden’s claims that Hunter did nothing wrong, whether he’d pardon and commute any possible sentencing for his son and brother Jim, and what Biden makes of the new revelations.
Welker broke the ice after a litany of questions focusing on the Biden administration’s massive release from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Referencing the final 2020 presidential debate (which she moderated), Welker brought up the then-candidate’s response:
[T]Biden, the Vice President of Human Resources was asked whether there were any inappropriate or unethical questions about his son’s business and personal relationships in China and/or Ukraine. According to the President, nothing is unethical. He went on to say, “my son has not made money in terms of this thing about what you’re talking about — China. Is the White House still standing by the comment made by the Vice President?
Bedingfield said they “absolutely stand by the President’s comment” and insisted “there’s not more that I can say” as she’s not his spokesperson besides “statements that we made at the time that we gave to The Washington Post who worked on this story.”
Two reporters later, Portnoy — who’s also the White House Correspondents Association president — followed up with two crucial questions that yet had to be asked and answered.
Portnoy first asked if the President believed this. “neither Hunter Biden nor James Biden committed any crimes or did anything that was unlawful” Hunter’s federal investigation was still ongoing.
Bedingfield reiterated she had nothing “further to add from this podium” since “[w]This issue was discussed by e The Washington Post” by “point[ing] to the statements that were made in the fall of 2020.”
Those who pay attention will notice that they are not relevant since the Biden campaign narrative at the time was that Hunter questions were Russian disinformation.
Portnoy’s follow-up was even more potent: “Can I ask you if there have been — if you’re aware if there have been any discussions here insideThis White House about whether the President might use his pardon or computation power with respect to either his son or his brother?”
Bedingfield wasn’t interested, saying she wouldn’t be “entertain[ing]” this “hypothetical” and thus “[didn’t] have anything to add.”
The same answer came down when O’Keefe had an intriguing query about what’s been the President’s reaction to the recent slew of media reports:
O’KEEFE: I know Hunter Biden is not a government employee. You don’t speak for him, but has the President read these reports? What did he think of them and how have you handled them?
BEDINGFIELD
O’Keefe also asked about the impending end to Title 42 and what will be a massive surge of people at the U.S./Mexico border, triggering a lengthy and clownish answer that deserved an inside-the-room fact-check. If only independent journalist Ali Bradley, Fox’s Bill Melugin, or Townhall’s Julio Rosas were there (click “expand”):
O’KEEFE: And on Title 42 ,you’re preparing to end this policy at some point soon here. There has been some concern expressed by Democrats as well as Republicans, but Democrats notably about how the administration’s preparing to wind that down and prepare for a surge. Some administration officials claim that the government is preparing for a record-breaking surge. How is the administration responding to moderate Democrats’ concerns? And, more generally, what is it doing to prepare for the surge?
BEDINGFIELD As we both said yesterday and many other times, the CDC will take this decision. While we are prepared for all eventualities, this is what I would say. What I can say, is that we want to ensure the safe and efficient processing of migrants. However, it is important to note that most people who travel to the United States without a legal permit will immediately be taken into removal proceedings. If they cannot establish legal grounds to stay in the United States they will be quickly removed from their home country and returned. For those in need of protection, such as economic necessity or flight from violent generalizations, asylum may not be available. Instead, it is granted for individuals who fear persecution and have well-founded fears. As such, those who seek protection should continue to have access to asylum and legal migration routes. And we’re working to expand legal pathways in the region, so that people don’t make this treacherous journey. There are consequences for illegally entering the United States. It’s clear this. As I pointed out yesterday, the Department of Homeland Security has prepared a plan for addressing the problem of migrants crossing our borders. It also works with partners from the region to ensure that people living outside the United States have safe entry options. As such, we are working towards a faster and more fair process. For example, the department of homeland security has created a docket that will expedite and make it easier to handle immigration cases for those who have arrived at ports other than theirs. There is still a lot of work we inherited from the previous administration. Our predecessor administration had dismantled the entire immigration system. It took a lot of effort from the beginning to rebuild this system, and we remain focused on maintaining order at our border.
And in between the Hunter Biden questions from Welker and Portnoy, Fox’s Jacqui Heinrich brought the heat on the reality that recent SPR releases have done little to curb gas prices well as the reality that “the Russian ruble has almost returned to its prewar levels.”
To see the relevant transcript from March 31’s briefing (including more oil questions), click here.
This post was last modified on April 1, 2022 1:59 pm
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