Biden: “I May Be Irish, But I’m Not Stupid”; Psaki Refuses All Hunter Laptop Questions After NYT Authenticates Emails

On 3/17/2022, Biden joked “I may be Irish, but I’m not stupid — I married Dominic Giacoppa’s daughter” at a St. Patrick’s Day event. Psaki refused every question about Hunter Biden’s laptop despite the New York Times having authenticated the emails, deflecting to “the Department of Justice” and “Hunter Biden’s representatives.” She also refused to address her own October 2020 dismissal of the laptop as Russian disinformation. Meanwhile, the White House acknowledged reaching out to Saudi Arabia and Venezuela for oil while still having Russia broker the Iran nuclear deal despite Biden calling Putin “a war criminal."

"I May Be Irish, But I’m Not Stupid”

Biden opened a St. Patrick’s Day event with a joke. “Father, before I began — let’s see, Father, forgive me, for I have sinned. I just want you to know, I may be Irish, but I’m not stupid. I married Dominic Giacoppa’s daughter,” Biden said, referencing his Italian-American connections.

Psaki confirmed Biden’s well-known pride in his Irish heritage. “Given the fact that the president very much likes to share his pride in his Irish heritage — Irish Americans consider themselves more Irish than the Irish,” Psaki said. “I will confirm that.”

Laptop: “I Point You to the DOJ”

The New York Times had authenticated emails from Hunter Biden’s abandoned laptop — the same story the New York Post had broken in October 2020, leading to the Post’s Twitter suspension and widespread media dismissal.

A reporter asked Psaki directly: “You also in October 2020 dismissed it as Russian disinformation. Do you stand by that assessment?”

“Again, I point you to the Department of Justice and Hunter Biden’s representatives. I’m a spokesperson for the United States. He doesn’t work for the United States,” Psaki said.

Another reporter pressed: “The New York Times has authenticated emails that appear to have come from a laptop abandoned by Hunter Biden. The president previously said that the New York Post story was ‘a bunch of garbage’ and a ‘Russian plant.’ Does he stand by that?”

“I’d point you to the Department of Justice and also to Hunter Biden’s representatives, who doesn’t work in the government,” Psaki repeated.

A third reporter tried: “I was hoping you could confirm that the laptop is indeed authentic and not Russian disinformation, as you seemed to suggest on Twitter last year.”

“As it relates to the book, I’ve neither had the time nor interest in exploring or reading the book,” Psaki said, referring to Miranda Devine’s “Laptop from Hell.”

The video included a flashback of Trump telling “60 Minutes” host Leslie Stahl: “I think it’s one of the biggest scandals I’ve ever seen and you don’t cover it.” Stahl had responded: “Because it can’t be verified.” Trump replied: “Of course it can be verified. They found the laptop, Leslie.”

Putin a “War Criminal” — But Still Brokering Iran Deal

A reporter caught the contradiction. “The president called Putin a war criminal yesterday. The Secretary of State said that was also his view today. So given all of that, why are we still having Putin’s Russia broker the Iran nuclear deal?”

“It’s not in our interests for Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon. And Russia is a member of the P5+1,” Psaki said. She blamed Trump for pulling out of the deal and “allowing Iran to move closer to acquiring a nuclear weapon.”

Oil Companies Making a “Calculated Decision”

Psaki pushed back on oil companies who said they were reluctant to increase production because it “doesn’t fit with the overall approach this administration is taking.” “I think it’s hard for them to make the argument it’s anything other than business decisions on their part,” Psaki said. “Too many of these companies are making the calculated decision of returning money to investors and shareholders through buybacks and dividends instead of expanding production.”

China Call Preview

Psaki previewed Biden’s call with Chinese President Xi Jinping. “This is a conversation about where President Xi stands. It’s up to the Chinese to decide where they want to stand, where they want to be as the history books are written,” Psaki said.

She noted China’s silence on Russia. “The fact that China has not denounced what Russia is doing in and of itself speaks volumes,” Psaki said. “This flies in the face of everything China stands for, including the basic principles of the UN Charter.”

Key Takeaways

Psaki refused all questions about Hunter Biden’s laptop despite the NYT authenticating the emails, pointing to “DOJ” and “his representatives” every time.
She would not address her own October 2020 dismissal of the laptop as Russian disinformation.
The administration was having Putin’s Russia broker the Iran deal despite Biden calling Putin “a war criminal.”
Psaki blamed oil companies for making “calculated decisions” to return profits to shareholders instead of expanding production.
Biden joked “I may be Irish, but I’m not stupid” at a St. Patrick’s Day event.

Transcript Highlights

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

I may be Irish, but I’m not stupid. I married Dominic Giacoppa’s daughter.
You dismissed it as Russian disinformation. Do you stand by that? I point you to the Department of Justice. He doesn’t work for the United States.
The New York Times has authenticated emails from the laptop. Does Biden stand by calling it garbage? I’d point you to the DOJ.
The president called Putin a war criminal. Why is Putin’s Russia still brokering the Iran deal? Russia is a member of the P5+1.
Too many companies are returning money to shareholders through buybacks instead of expanding production.
The fact that China has not denounced what Russia is doing in and of itself speaks volumes.

Full transcript: 1114 words transcribed via Whisper AI.