Joe Biden on Friday defended his scandal-hit son Hunter amid investigations into alleged tax violations and lies on a gun license, insisting, “My son has done nothing wrong.”
The president spoke with MSNBC’s Stephanie Ruhle in his first one-on-one meeting with a TV reporter since February when he spoke to PBS Newshour.
It’s also the first since announcing his 2024 campaign.
Biden was asked about his 53-year-old son, whose business and tax affairs are being investigated by prosecutors.
When asked how the probe affects his presidency, Biden replied, “First of all, my son has done nothing wrong.
“I trust him, I believe in him,” he said.
“And it affects my presidency by making me proud of him.”
Joe Biden defended his son Hunter Friday night, even though federal prosecutors were considering four counts of charges against Hunter — three related to tax crimes and the fourth an indictment of a gun-sales felony, according to the Washington Post
Speaking to MSNBC’s Stephanie Ruhle on Friday, Biden said he remains the best man for the job. “I’ve picked up a hell of a lot of wisdom and I know more than the vast majority of people,” Biden said. “And I have more experience than anyone who has ever run for office. And I think I’ve proven myself honorable and effective as well.
Joe and Hunter Biden land in New York on February 4th
Hunter Biden (pictured leaving court in Arkansas this week) is moving toward forming a legal defense fund as a federal investigation nears its conclusion and he faces the GOP investigations. He is also involved in a child support dispute in court
Hunter Biden met with US Attorney for Delaware David Weiss last week at Justice Department headquarters in Washington DC to signal the conclusion of the federal investigation into him over tax matters and a weapons charge.
According to the Washington Post, Weiss and his federal prosecutors are considering four counts of charges against Hunter — three related to tax crimes and the fourth an indictment of a gun-sales felony.
Meanwhile, Congressional Republicans are intensifying their investigations into Hunter Biden’s finances and what some call the “Biden family.”
This week Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa, 89, and House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer said they heard from a whistleblower.
They described being told about a bribery scheme from the time Biden served as vice president.
“We believe the FBI is in possession of an unclassified internal document containing very serious and detailed allegations involving the current President of the United States,” Grassley said.
Grassley later said in an interview that he did not know whether the whistleblower’s claims were true.
He told Newsmax: “It’s a very serious allegation. I wish I could say I knew it was true or untrue.’
Hunter Biden has been candid about his struggles with drugs and alcohol. Photos found on his abandoned laptop document his struggles
Hunter bought this gun and stated on the permit application that he had never used drugs, although he later admitted his cocaine addiction
On his gun permit form (pictured), Biden ticked “no” when asked if he was “a user of a sedative, stimulant, or narcotic.”
Biden (right) held a bilateral press conference with South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol (left) last week, during which leaders will answer questions from two selected journalists from each country
The president, meanwhile, was asked by Ruhle why he was running for re-election.
Biden, 80, made his reelection bid official last Tuesday by posting a video.
He has not campaigned since – and has spent most of this week out of the public eye.
Noting that no Fortune 500 company is currently looking for a CEO over 80, Ruhle asked why he thought he was up to the task.
“Because I’ve picked up a hell of a lot of wisdom and I know more than the vast majority of people,” Biden said.
“And I have more experience than anyone who has ever run for office.
“And I think I’ve proven myself honorable and effective as well.”
He added that if Donald Trump returns to the White House, it would be disastrous for the United States.
“We cannot allow this election to be won and the same man four years ago to be president,” he said.
When asked what the difference was between him and Trump, Biden replied: “Everything, everything. Everything.’
Biden touted his success on infrastructure, telling Ruhle that voters “would see movement.”
He added: “Without world-class infrastructure, how can we be the most prosperous economy in the world?
“We used to be number one in the world; now we are 13.”
Biden said he’s changing that, investing in improved railroads and bridges and replacing lead pipes.
When asked why the polls were so against him, Biden blamed the media.
“Everything they’ve heard has been negative for three years,” he said.
“I’m not critical of the press, but when you turn on the TV, everything is negative.”
Ruhle noted that his campaign launch video included several clips showing his Vice President, Kamala Harris.
She asked if Harris was so heavily represented because Biden intended to hand over the presidency to her without completing his term.
He said no, adding, “I just think Vice President Harris doesn’t have the credit she deserves.”
He referenced her resume and pointed to her career as a Senator and Attorney General of California.
“She’s really, really good,” he said.
“She doesn’t have the recognition she deserves.”
The President was also asked about the debt ceiling and a potential default.
He said he has faith in Kevin McCarthy, Republican Speaker of the House, but felt cornered by MAGA Republicans demanding extreme budget cuts — cutting the number of teachers, FBI and DEA agents, and end-caps for the drug prices.
Biden said he thinks Kevin McCarthy is “an honest man” cornered by MAGA Republicans
“I think he’s an honest man,” Biden said.
“I think he’s in a position that he’s – 15 votes, he’s sold almost everything. There’s the Republican Party and the MAGA Republicans.
“To become a spokesperson, he agreed to things that he might believe in, but it’s extreme.”
He added: “I am willing to negotiate in detail with your budget.”
Biden has expressed frustration with the situation at the US-Mexico border and said he has asked Congress to provide assistance.
Title 42 expires next week, potentially triggering a spike in migrants crossing the border.
Biden has often been criticized for not taking the time to answer questions.
Two weeks ago, the New York Times called Biden’s press shyness a “deliberate strategy,” noting that in the 100 years since President Calvin Coolidge took office, only Republican Presidents Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan have held as few press conferences as Biden.
He has yet to do a sit-down interview with an American newspaper.
In total, he will have conducted 54 interviews before meeting Ruhle on Friday.
For comparison, Donald Trump conducted 202 interviews in his first two years in office, while Barack Obama gave 275 interviews, The Times said.
On Friday, Biden interrupted shouted questions and said he would hold a press conference later.
President Joe Biden teased reporters at the White House on Friday, telling them he would answer their questions at a “big press conference” later in the afternoon.
Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris went to Taqueria Habaneros on Friday to pick up some Cinco de Mayo supplies
Conservatives on Twitter mocked Biden for mistaking an interview and press conference. “The White House is already trying to take that back,” said Republican National Committee Chair Ronna Romney McDaniel
It was later made clear by helpers that he meant the interview.
Biden and Kamala Harris then went to a DC diner to buy tacos to celebrate Cinco de Mayo.
Meanwhile, conservatives on Twitter mocked Biden for mistaking an interview and a press conference.
“The White House is already trying to take that back,” said Republican National Committee Chair Ronna Romney McDaniel.
“Biden’s last solo press conference was 172 days ago.”