Hunter Biden's legal woes will be 'deciding factor' in father's 2024 decision, Puck News reporter says
A source told Fox News that the DOJ probe into Hunter Biden has reached a 'critical stage'
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Puck News reporter Tara Palmeri suggested that the legal woes plaguing Hunter Biden will be the "deciding factor" in his father's decision to seek reelection in 2024.
Appearing on Puck's "The Powers That Be: Daily" podcast, Palmeri was asked what were the odds that President Biden will run for a second term, which she thought is "50-50" and that he will "wait for as long as possible" to decide.
"If the Democrats lose the Senate and the House, that’ll be really bad," Palmeri said on Friday's podcast. "And I could see that there would be a lot of pressure on Biden to announce that he’s not gonna run for reelection. It’s just gonna be a dark time between November, January, February. Like, real dark."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"Plus, you’re gonna have all these investigations into Hunter Biden. There’s, you know, reports that the Justice Department is looking at indicting him. It’s just gonna be a dark time. It’s not gonna be good for his family," she continued.
JOE BIDEN MET WITH AT LEAST 14 OF HUNTER'S BUSINESS ASSOCIATES WHILE VICE PRESIDENT
Photo Credit: Getty Images (Getty Images)
Palmeri asserted that it is First Lady Jill Biden who "ultimately decides" whether her husband seeks reelection.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}She then predicted the outcome of a "brutal midterm" could become "personal," alluding to GOP lawmakers poised to take back Congress will "go after his kid."
"He’s gonna be weakened. And then I think you layer in the personal stuff on top of it. And that is what will be the deciding factor," Palmeri said. "If it was purely political, I think Joe Biden only knows how to run. That’s all he is been doing his whole life. But I think if he sees- if he thinks that perhaps saying he’s not gonna run for reelection will get the Republicans to drop their terrifying investigation into Hunter."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"Here’s another thing- what if Hunter’s indicted? How can he run if his son is indicted?" Palmeri added.
Puck News reporter Tara Palmeri suggests the investigations into Hunter Biden will be the "deciding factor" whether President Biden seeks reelection in 2024. (Photo by Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images) (Getty Images)
Hunter Biden has been the subject of multiple federal investigations as the DOJ is looking into whether he violated any tax, money laundering and/or gun laws.
However, the major question Republicans continue to ask is whether President Biden will be implicated in any of the potential charges his son could face.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}HUNTER BIDEN PROBE: ABC, NBC, CBS SKIP DAMNING ‘CRITICAL STAGE’ REPORT THAT CHARGES ARE ON THE TABLE
During the 2020 presidential election, the emails that surfaced from Hunter Biden's laptop suggest then-candidate Joe Biden was involved in his son's business dealings overseas, which directly contradicts his claim that the two of them never discussed business.
The New York Post's bombshell reporting of Hunter Biden's laptop was shunned by the legacy media, some even unsubstantially claiming at the time that its contents were Russian disinformation. Big Tech also suppressed the story from being shared on social media, alleging the report was based on hacked material despite any evidence.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}FILE - Then Vice President-elect, Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del., left, stands with his son Hunter during a re-enactment of the Senate oath ceremony in the Old Senate Chamber on Capitol Hill in Washington on Jan. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak, File)
Fox News reported this week that President Biden met with at least 14 of Hunter’s business associates from the U.S., Mexico, Ukraine, China and Kazakhstan over the course of his vice presidency, fueling accusations from critics that the Bidens were involved in influence peddling during the Obama administration.
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The investigation into Hunter’s tax affairs, which began in 2018, has reached a "critical stage," a source previously told Fox News Digital. Officials are looking into whether to charge the first son with various tax violations and possible foreign lobbying violations.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A separate source told Fox News Digital that the federal grand jury looking into Hunter’s business dealings wrapped up its latest term late last month but said no charges have been filed. Hunter has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.
Fox News' Jessica Chasmar contributed to this report.