KJP Downplays Biden Impeachment Talk, Deflects on Hunter Biden Court Appearance

On July 25, 2023, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre faced an extended round of questioning on three interconnected topics: House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s growing signals toward a Biden impeachment inquiry, Hunter Biden’s upcoming court appearance on federal tax and gun charges, and whether the President or First Lady would attend their son’s hearing. Jean-Pierre deployed her most familiar deflection tools — “I’m not going to get into hypotheticals,” “I would refer you to his representatives,” and repeated declarations that “the American people are beginning to feel Bidenomics” — to avoid substantive engagement on any of the three subjects. The briefing came one day after McCarthy appeared on Fox News and made his most explicit threat yet to pursue an impeachment investigation.

”I’m Not Going to Get Into Hypotheticals”

The first set of questions focused on Speaker McCarthy’s increasingly direct statements about opening a formal impeachment inquiry into President Biden. McCarthy had appeared on Sean Hannity’s show the night before and said the House may be “reaching the point” where lawmakers would pursue an impeachment probe, his most explicit public statement on the topic to date.

A reporter asked Jean-Pierre directly: “Speaker Kevin McCarthy is talking more about starting an impeachment investigation into the President. What’s your response to that? And if you did that, would that make any kind of cooperation with the House impossible going forward?”

Jean-Pierre’s answer was immediate and formulaic: “Look, I’m not going to get into hypotheticals. I’m not going to get into what the House Republicans may or may not do.”

A second reporter tried a different approach, pressing on whether the White House at least acknowledged the accumulation of evidence: “The Speaker McCarthy’s impeachment inquiry comments — he seems to be making the point that he thinks there’s been enough mounting evidence to at least have an inquiry on this. Can you at least say whether you agree or disagree that there’s enough mounting evidence?”

Jean-Pierre refused to engage with the substance: “I answered two of your colleagues this question about what Speaker McCarthy is going to do, not going to do, how House Republicans are going to move forward. I just don’t have anything else to share.”

The refusal to address the evidence question was notable. The reporter was not asking Jean-Pierre to predict the outcome of a congressional vote. She was asking whether the White House disputed the factual premise that evidence warranting an inquiry existed. By categorizing this as a “hypothetical,” Jean-Pierre avoided confronting the growing body of bank records, testimony, and whistleblower accounts that House investigators had assembled.

The questioning then shifted to Hunter Biden’s scheduled court appearance the following day, where he was expected to plead guilty to two federal misdemeanor tax charges as part of a plea agreement that would also resolve a felony gun charge through a diversion program.

A reporter asked: “The President’s son, Hunter, has a court appearance scheduled for tomorrow. Given the President’s unwavering support for him, is anyone from the family planning to accompany him tomorrow?”

Jean-Pierre shut the question down entirely: “I’m just not going to get into anything that’s related to Hunter Biden. He’s a private citizen. I would refer you to his representatives. Just don’t have anything to share on that. That is something that he is dealing with. And so I would refer you to his representatives on this.”

The characterization of Hunter Biden as a “private citizen” had become a recurring source of friction at White House briefings. While technically accurate, critics argued it was disingenuous given that the investigations into Hunter Biden directly implicated the President, who was alleged to have participated in or benefited from his son’s foreign business dealings.

Will Biden or the First Lady Attend the Hearing?

A follow-up reporter pressed the more personal question: would the President or the First Lady be present for their son’s court hearing?

The reporter cited the White House’s own previous statement: “In June, after the President’s son Hunter Biden — it was announced that he’s going to plead guilty to two misdemeanors — the White House put out a statement in which the President and the First Lady said that they love their son and they support him as he continues to rebuild his life. Tomorrow, when he’s making this first court appearance and presumably enters a plea of guilty to these two misdemeanors, will either the President or the First Lady be by his side? Do you happen to know? And if not, why not?”

Jean-Pierre confirmed neither parent would attend but framed it in terms of their schedules: “What you just said about the President and the First Lady loving their son and will continue to support him as he moves forward with his life, that continues to be true. And that will stay to be true. Anything else, I can tell you that the President will be here working on behalf of the American people. As you know, the First Lady is actually abroad doing the business of the American people.”

The distinction between emotional support and physical presence was telling. The White House was willing to declare the President’s love for his son but not willing to have Biden show up in a courtroom where that support would be visible. The decision to stay away suggested the White House calculated that images of the President at his son’s criminal hearing would be politically damaging.

Devon Archer Testimony: “No Comment”

A reporter then raised the upcoming testimony of Devon Archer, Hunter Biden’s former business partner, who was scheduled to appear before the House Oversight Committee: “About Devon Archer — he’s going to be having a testimony for the Oversight Committee. One, do you consider him a reliable witness?”

Jean-Pierre’s answer was her shortest of the day: “I don’t have anything to comment on this.”

Archer’s testimony would prove consequential. He subsequently told the Oversight Committee that Joe Biden had been placed on speakerphone during business calls with Hunter’s foreign partners and that the “Biden brand” was central to Hunter’s business dealings. The White House’s preemptive refusal to engage with questions about Archer’s reliability would be revisited after his testimony raised new questions about the President’s knowledge of his son’s business activities.

”The American People Are Beginning to Feel Bidenomics”

The briefing also featured Jean-Pierre’s attempt to promote the administration’s economic messaging. She declared: “That’s Bidenomics in action, and the American people are beginning to feel Bidenomics.”

The claim was made at a time when consumer sentiment surveys showed broad dissatisfaction with the economy. Inflation had moderated from its peak but prices remained significantly higher than when Biden took office. The assertion that Americans were “beginning to feel Bidenomics” was intended as positive messaging but was widely interpreted by critics as tone-deaf, given that many Americans were feeling the impact of higher prices, elevated interest rates, and stagnant real wages.

Key Takeaways

Jean-Pierre dismissed impeachment talk as “hypotheticals” and refused to say whether the White House disagreed that there was “enough mounting evidence” for an inquiry, despite House investigators having assembled bank records and whistleblower testimony.
When asked about Hunter Biden’s upcoming court appearance, Jean-Pierre said she would not “get into anything that’s related to Hunter Biden” and called him “a private citizen,” referring reporters to his legal representatives.
Jean-Pierre confirmed neither President Biden nor the First Lady would attend Hunter’s court hearing, saying the President would be “working on behalf of the American people” and the First Lady was abroad.
Jean-Pierre had “nothing to comment” on Devon Archer’s upcoming testimony before the House Oversight Committee, which would later reveal that Joe Biden had been placed on speakerphone during Hunter’s business calls.
Jean-Pierre claimed “the American people are beginning to feel Bidenomics” amid consumer dissatisfaction with high prices and elevated interest rates.

Full Transcript

The following is transcribed from the video audio:

That’s Bidenomics in action, and the American people are beginning to feel Bidenomics. Speaker Kevin McCarthy is talking more about starting an impeachment investigation into the President. What’s your response to that? And if you did that, would that make any kind of cooperation with the House impossible going forward? Look, I’m not going to get into hypotheticals. I’m not going to get into what the House Republicans may or may not do.

One more on the Speaker McCarthy’s comments on impeachment inquiry. The Speaker McCarthy’s impeachment inquiry comments, he seems to be making the point that he thinks there’s been enough mounting evidence to at least have an inquiry on this. I’m very spoken to this way of thinking. Can you at least say whether you agree or disagree that there’s enough mounting evidence? I answered two of your colleagues this question about what Speaker McCarthy is going to do, not going to do, how House Republicans are going to move forward. I just don’t have anything else to share.

The President’s son, Hunter, has a court appearance scheduled for tomorrow. Given the President’s unwavering support for him, is anyone from the family planning to accompany him tomorrow? And also, we haven’t heard directly from Hunter yet since he entered this plea. It seems that tomorrow might present that kind of opportunity. Is the White House encouraging or discouraging him from speaking out publicly? I’m just not going to get into anything that’s related to Hunter Biden. He’s a private citizen. I would refer you to his representatives. Just don’t have anything to share on that. That is something that he is dealing with. And so I would refer you to his representatives on this. Can I say nothing on whether anyone will be with me? Again, I would refer you to Hunter Biden’s representatives.

In June, after the President’s son, Hunter Biden, it was announced that he’s going to plead guilty to two misdemeanors. The White House put out a statement in which the President and the First Lady said that they love their son and they support him as he continues to rebuild his life. Tomorrow, when he’s making this first court appearance and presumably enters a plea of guilty to these two misdemeanors, will either the President or the First Lady be by his side? Do you happen to know? And if not, why not? Look, a couple of things. What you just said about the President and the First Lady loving their son and will continue to support him as he moves forward with his life, that continues to be true. And that will stay to be true. Anything else, I can tell you that the President will be here working on behalf of the American people. As you know, the First Lady is actually abroad doing the business of the American people. And so I just don’t have anything else to share.

About Devon Archer, he’s going to be having a testimony for the Oversight Committee. I’m sorry? Devon Archer, Hunter Biden’s business partner. One, do you consider him a reliable witness? I don’t have anything to comment on this. Go ahead. I’m in the back here. Wait behind you. Right here. In the bow tie. I haven’t called on you in a while. That’s Hasting. That’s right. I didn’t want to call you by the wrong name. I know I get Michael and Joey confused all the time. So I didn’t want to do that to you.

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