During Tuesday’s press briefing, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre refused to answer questions about a 2018 voicemail from President Biden to his son Hunter Biden in which he discussed foreign business dealings – contradicting Biden’s repeated claim that he never discussed foreign business dealings with his son.
“Why is there a voicemail of the president talking to his son about his overseas business dealings if the president has said he’s never spoken to his son about his overseas business dealings?” Fox News correspondent Peter Doocy asked.
“Well, first I’ll say that what the president said stands. So if he — that’s what the president said, that is what stands,” Jean-Pierre replied.
“He’s leaving a voicemail about a New York Times article concerning Hunter Biden’s business dealings and he says, ‘I think you’re clear,’” Doocy interjected. “How is that not him talking to his son about his overseas business dealings?”
“We’re not, from this podium — I’m not going to talk about alleged materials from the laptop,” Jean-Pierre replied.
“Are you disputing that this is the president’s voice on the voicemail?” Doocy pressed.
“I am not going to talk about alleged materials from the laptop,” Jean-Pierre said. “Peter, I refer you to his son’s representatives.”
DOOCY: "Why is there a voicemail of the president talking to his son about his overseas business dealings…?"
KJP: "I am not going to talk about alleged materials from the laptop."
DOOCY: "Are you disputing that it's the president's voice on the voicemail?" pic.twitter.com/DOfRRBSNoR
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) July 5, 2022
Later in the press briefing, Jean-Pierre was asked by RealClearPolitics reporter Philip Wegmann about how the White House could continue to refuse to address questions about Hunter Biden’s foreign business dealings when President Biden has repeatedly said that he would “level” with the American people.
“We have all heard the president likes to say, ‘I will always level with you,’” Wegmann said. “Moments ago, though, you seemed to dismiss Peter’s question about his conversations with his son with regards to his business dealings. And I’m wondering how is that silence consistent with the president’s promise to always level with the American public?”
“At least according to the voicemail that’s been obtained by The Daily Mail and The Washington Examiner, it certainly seems like he was seeking to do exactly that: have a conversation about his business dealings,” Wegmann continued. “Is he leveling with the American public on this?”
“So I hear your question, but what I can tell you from here, standing at this podium is that I cannot comment on any materials from the laptop and I would refer you to the representatives of Hunter Biden,” Jean-Pierre added.
.@PhilipWegmann: "You seemed to dismiss Peter's question about his conversation with his son Hunter Biden…how is that silence consistent with the president's promise to always level with the American public?"
KJP: "I can not comment on any materials from the laptop." pic.twitter.com/P1AYJvlINz
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) July 5, 2022
Last week, The Daily Mail revealed a voicemail from President Biden that showed that the president “spoke with Hunter about his business dealings with a Chinese criminal his son dubbed the ‘spy chief of China.’”
“Joe called Hunter on December 12, 2018 saying that he wanted to talk to him after reading a New York Times story about Hunter’s dealings with the Chinese oil giant CEFC,” The Daily Mail reported. “Files on Hunter’s abandoned laptop previously disclosed by DailyMail.com show that he struck a deal with the Chinese company worth millions of dollars after touting his family connections.”
“The Times’ 2018 story pointed out CEFC’s chairman Ye Jianming had been arrested in China and his top lieutenant Patrick Ho had been convicted in the US for bribing African officials to help Iran evade oil sanctions,” The Daily Mail added. “It revealed that Ye had met with Hunter at a Miami hotel in 2017 to discuss ‘a partnership to invest in American infrastructure and energy deals.’”
“Hey pal, it’s Dad. It’s 8:15 on Wednesday night. If you get a chance, just give me a call. Nothing urgent. I just wanted to talk with you,” Joe Biden said voicemail.
“I thought the article released online, it’s going to be printed tomorrow in the Times, was good,” Joe Biden added. “I think you’re clear. And anyway, if you get a chance, give me a call. I love you.”
