Biden campaign canceled MSNBC appearance for fear of Hunter Biden questions: Report
The goal was to 'avoid facing a litany of questions about the president’s son,' according to the New York Times
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Biden campaign ducked out of a recent MSNBC appearance to avoid questions about the president's embattled son Hunter, according to a new report.
In response to the breaking news that a special counsel had been appointed in the investigation into Hunter Biden, the campaign didn't want any questions about it, according to the New York Times.
"The Biden campaign canceled a scheduled Friday afternoon appearance on MSNBC for its campaign manager, Julie Chávez Rodríguez, after the special counsel announcement to avoid facing a litany of questions about the president’s son, according to two people familiar with the scheduling," the Times reported over the weekend.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The anecdote came as part of a broader story that reflected Democrats appearing unconcerned, however, about the developments in the younger Biden's case, pointing in part to the multiple indictments gripping Republican frontrunner Donald Trump.
President Joe Biden (L) and Hunter Biden (R) (Fox News)
"Polling, Democrats noted, has suggested that swing voters aren’t attuned to the various Hunter Biden controversies. Recent elections, including the Ohio referendum this past week, have shown that the abortion rights issue is powering Democratic victories. And Democrats believe ne’er-do-well family members do not cause transitive harm to relatives who are running for president," the Times reported.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}MSNBC, the left-leaning cable arm of NBC News, is the current employer of President Biden's first press secretary, Jen Psaki, who hosts the weekend show "Inside." Her replacement, Karine Jean-Pierre, was an MSNBC political analyst before transitioning back to politics, and the network is often a friendly landing spot for pro-Biden talking points.
President Biden is standing steadfastly by Hunter while Republicans charge he benefited from his son's overseas business dealings that traded on his famous last name. But even some media members who often stand in the Democratic corner are expressing concern about the case's developments.
CNN's Jake Tapper wondered aloud over the weekend whether Biden should "stop publicly saying" his son had done nothing wrong.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"I understand this is a dad talking about his son," Tapper said. "But it’s also the President of the United States talking about a potential defendant in a case that his Justice Department is prosecuting. Also, he was about to plead guilty to some of the things he did wrong. Does the president need to stop publicly saying his son did nothing wrong?"
The special counsel probe comes after an earlier plea agreement with Hunter Biden fell apart at the last minute.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Joe and Hunter Biden at Fort McNair. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
The first son was expected to plead guilty to two counts of willful failure to pay federal income tax and one count of possession of a firearm by a person who is an unlawful user of or addicted to a controlled substance. But Judge Maryellen Noreika did not accept the plea agreement, questioning the constitutionality — specifically the diversion clause and the immunity Hunter Biden would receive. After prosecutors said Hunter Biden pleading guilty to the two misdemeanor tax offenses would not immunize him from future charges, he wound up pleading "not guilty."
U.S. Attorney David Weiss, the federal prosecutor who faced backlash after announcing a probation-only plea agreement for Hunter Biden in July, will serve as a special counsel in the ongoing investigation, Attorney General Merrick Garland announced on Friday.
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., called Garland's announcement "part of the Justice Department’s efforts to attempt a Biden family coverup in light of [House Oversight Republicans'] mounting evidence of President Biden’s role in his family’s schemes selling ‘the brand’ for millions of dollars to foreign nationals."
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A Democratic National Committee spokesperson and MSNBC representative didn't reply to requests for comment.
Fox News' Jessica Chasmar and Ashley Carnahan contributed to this report.
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