KJP Refuses To Explain China-Linked Payments To Biden Family; Economy Working, No Pre-Recession

On March 22, 2023, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre faced questions on two major fronts during the daily briefing: reports of China-linked payments to Biden family members revealed by the House Oversight Committee, and growing concerns about the economy amid the Federal Reserve’s inflation warnings and a banking crisis. Jean-Pierre refused to address the China payment allegations, dismissing them as “lies and inaccuracy,” and maintained that the President saw no recession on the horizon despite persistent inflation and economic anxiety among American households.

China-Linked Payments to Biden Family Members

Earlier in March 2023, House Oversight and Accountability Committee Chairman James Comer published a report based on bank records outlining how from 2015 to 2017, China’s State Energy HK appeared to make $1.3 million in payments to Biden family members through an intermediary. While the payments to Jim Biden and Hunter Biden, the President’s brother and son, were previously known, Comer’s report revealed that payments were also made to Hallie Biden, the widow of the President’s deceased son Beau. Records also showed a fourth unidentified “Biden” receiving payments.

Fox News White House Correspondent Peter Doocy pressed Jean-Pierre on the matter during the briefing: “House Oversight says they’ve got bank records showing a Chinese energy company paying three Biden family members through a third party. What were they paid for?”

Jean-Pierre flatly refused to engage: “Look, I’m just not going to respond to that from here. Look, we have heard from House Republicans for years and years and years how the inaccuracies and lies when it comes to this issue. And I don’t even where to begin to even answer that question because again it’s been lies and lies and inaccuracy for the past couple years and I’m just not going to get into it from here.”

The response was notable for its categorical dismissal. Rather than addressing the specific bank records cited by Comer, Jean-Pierre characterized the entire line of inquiry as politically motivated falsehoods without engaging with the documentary evidence that the House Oversight Committee had published.

Federal Reserve Inflation Warnings

The briefing also addressed the Federal Reserve’s ongoing battle against inflation. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell had stated that day that inflation remained “still too high,” and the Fed indicated that rate hikes alone might not be sufficient to bring inflation under control.

A reporter posed the question directly: “President Biden said to lower inflation we should trust the Fed. Now the Fed is saying that rate hikes won’t be enough to quell inflation. Why does he still trust the Fed?”

Jean-Pierre deflected by emphasizing the Fed’s independence: “They’re an independent agency. We are not going to interfere. We’re not going to get involved and I’m certainly not going to comment.”

When asked whether the President agreed with the Fed Chairman’s assessment that inflation was still too high, Jean-Pierre pivoted to the administration’s legislative record: “The President has always said that he’s going to do everything that he can to make sure that we work every day to lower cost and that’s why the Inflation Reduction Act is so important.”

Americans Paying More Despite Economic Claims

Reporters pressed Jean-Pierre on the disconnect between the administration’s positive economic messaging and the financial reality facing American households. One reporter cited an estimate that Americans were paying approximately $372 more per month than they were a year earlier.

The reporter asked: “Given all of that the price of goods is still high. Americans are paying about $372 more a month according to one estimate than they were a year ago. What does the President say to Americans who everything that you say is happening on paper for them paying that amount of money a month is still a lot?”

Jean-Pierre acknowledged the strain but pivoted to blaming Republicans: “We understand what the American people is feeling. That’s not lost on us. That’s our and this is why we’ve made the contrast with what Republicans are trying to do. You see Republicans in the House saying that they want to lower Medicare. They want to they want to repeal Inflation Reduction Act.”

The answer drew attention for acknowledging the hardship while redirecting blame rather than offering specific remedies beyond existing legislation.

No Recession, No Pre-Recession

Amid the banking crisis that had seen the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank earlier in March, reporters asked whether Biden still maintained confidence that the economy would avoid a recession.

Jean-Pierre stated: “The President has complete confidence in the process and in his economic policy. If you think about it, when we look at how strong the economy is, it’s because of the President’s work what he’s been able to do.” She added emphatically: “Do not see a recession or a pre-recession. We see a strong economy and it’s because of the work that this President has done.”

When asked whether Americans should expect an economic slowdown due to the banking system instability, Jean-Pierre quoted Fed Chairman Powell: “The chair, Chair Powell said, which was and I quote, our banking system is sound and resilient with strong capital and liquidity. So I’ll just leave it there. I won’t go beyond.”

Xi Jinping’s Remarks to Putin

The briefing also briefly touched on a recent meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin, in which Xi reportedly told Putin that “change is coming that hasn’t happened in 100 years and we are driving this change together.”

When asked for the White House’s interpretation of that statement, Jean-Pierre declined: “You would have to ask them.”

The terse response was notable given that the Xi-Putin meeting occurred against the backdrop of the ongoing war in Ukraine and rising U.S.-China tensions, subjects that the administration was typically more willing to address.

Additional Context

The March 22, 2023 briefing came at a convergence of several political and economic pressures. The House Oversight Committee’s investigation into Biden family finances was gaining momentum, with Comer publishing bank records that raised questions about the nature of payments from Chinese entities. Meanwhile, the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank had shaken confidence in the financial system, and the Fed’s continued warnings about persistent inflation undercut the administration’s optimistic economic narrative.

Jean-Pierre’s refusal to address the China payment allegations stood in contrast to the detailed bank records that the Oversight Committee had made public. The $1.3 million in payments from a Chinese energy company to multiple Biden family members, including the previously unreported payment to Hallie Biden, represented a widening of the financial picture beyond what had been previously known about Hunter Biden’s business dealings.

Key Takeaways

• Jean-Pierre refused to address House Oversight Committee bank records showing $1.3 million in payments from a Chinese energy company to three Biden family members, dismissing the entire line of inquiry as “lies and lies and inaccuracy.”
• The Federal Reserve Chairman stated inflation was “still too high,” while Jean-Pierre insisted the administration would not comment on Fed decisions because “they’re an independent agency.”
• When confronted with the fact that Americans were paying approximately $372 more per month than a year earlier, Jean-Pierre acknowledged the strain but pivoted to criticizing Republicans for wanting to “repeal Inflation Reduction Act.”
• Jean-Pierre declared the administration did “not see a recession or a pre-recession” despite the ongoing banking crisis and persistent inflation.
• The White House declined to interpret Xi Jinping’s statement to Putin about “change coming that hasn’t happened in 100 years,” saying only “you would have to ask them.”