Biden Highlights “My Son Hunter Is Here at the White House” During Medal of Freedom Ceremony; Republicans Say “Bad Policies, Not Bad Messaging”

On 7/7/2022, Biden twice pointed out “my son Hunter and daughter-in-law are here” during the Presidential Medal of Freedom ceremony where soccer star Megan Rapinoe was honored — drawing attention to Hunter’s White House presence amid an ongoing federal criminal investigation. Biden also told the audience “I’m going to do this, but they tell me not to” before launching into a story. Republicans dismissed the Democratic midterm strategy of painting the GOP as “extreme,” saying the problem was “bad policies, not bad messaging.” A Biden energy official acknowledged the climate agenda was “facing headwinds” from gas prices but said decarbonization had “never been more essential."

"My Son Hunter Is Here”

Biden mentioned Hunter Biden’s presence at the White House twice during the Medal of Freedom ceremony — an unusual choice given the federal investigation into Hunter’s tax and business affairs. “And by the way, my son Hunter and daughter-in-law are here,” Biden said initially. He then repeated the same line later in his remarks about Rapinoe.

Biden connected Hunter to Rapinoe through a personal anecdote. “His daughter is a great high school athlete and she was so excited to be with you when you won the championship, walking off the field,” Biden said.

The repeated mention of Hunter’s White House presence was notable given the administration’s usual strategy of distancing the president from his son’s legal troubles by saying Hunter was “a private citizen” who “doesn’t work for the government.”

Rapinoe Medal of Freedom

Biden honored Rapinoe as “one of the most accomplished soccer players and the first soccer player to receive the Medal of Freedom.” He praised her beyond athletics. “Megan is a champion for an essential American truth — that everyone, everyone is entitled to be treated with dignity and respect,” Biden said.

He also noted Rapinoe’s role in the equal pay fight. “She helped lead the change for perhaps the most important victory for anyone on her soccer team,” Biden said.

”Bad Policies, Not Bad Messaging”

Republicans dismissed reports that the Biden administration was planning a “sharper message” for the midterms. “They don’t have a messaging problem. They got a policy problem, and they’re doing it intentionally,” a Republican congressman said.

“We’re the party that says we like stable prices. We’re the party that says we like $2 gas, not $5 gas, instead of this crazy green agenda the Democrats are pushing,” the congressman said. “Try as they may, they’re not going to change things. I think it’s going to be a big win for Republicans this November.”

A Biden ally told NBC News the administration would adopt “a sharper message” revolving around “painting the Republican Party as extreme and doing things that are actively hurting people’s lives.”

Another Republican pushed back. “This attitude from Washington that says Washington’s so much smarter than the folks in the heartland, where you make things, grow things, move things — the elites in D.C., New York, and San Francisco have disdain for us,” the Republican said. “The country understands that’s the mindset of the Democrats.”

Climate Agenda “Facing Headwinds”

A Biden energy official acknowledged the political difficulty of pushing decarbonization amid $5 gas. “The agenda for climate is facing headwinds given what we are seeing with the crimp in oil supply and the price of gas,” the official said. “Obviously that is a challenge when we are also trying to accelerate this movement toward clean.”

“But it has never been more essential to the U.S. and the world’s long-term health than to address climate change and decarbonizing,” the official added. The administration maintained its goals: “reduce CO2 emissions in half by 2030, 100% clean electricity by 2035, and net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.”

KJP: Republicans “Running on Narratives”

KJP was asked about the midterm political environment. “When Republicans don’t have anything good to run on, they’re running on narratives that they believe will scare people. Some of it’s incredibly misleading. And certainly some of it isn’t even remotely the president’s fault,” KJP said.

Key Takeaways

• Biden twice highlighted “my son Hunter is here at the White House” during the Medal of Freedom ceremony — amid Hunter’s ongoing federal criminal investigation.
• Megan Rapinoe became the first soccer player to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
• Republicans dismissed the Democratic midterm pivot as a messaging fix for a policy problem: “We like $2 gas, not $5 gas.”
• A Biden energy official admitted the climate agenda was “facing headwinds” from gas prices but called decarbonization “never more essential.”
• A Biden ally said the fall strategy would be “painting the Republican Party as extreme.”

Transcript Highlights

The following is transcribed from the video audio (unverified — AI-generated from audio).

• And by the way, my son Hunter and daughter-in-law are here. I’m going to do this, but they tell me not to.
• Megan is the first soccer player to receive the Medal of Freedom. Everyone is entitled to dignity and respect.
• They don’t have a messaging problem. They got a policy problem. We like $2 gas, not $5 gas.
• The climate agenda is facing headwinds from the crimp in oil supply and gas prices.
• When Republicans don’t have anything good to run on, they’re running on narratives to scare people.
• This attitude that Washington’s so much smarter than the folks in the heartland — the country gets it.

Full transcript: 816 words transcribed via Whisper AI.