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July 6, 2022

White House press secretary declines to answer questions about Biden's 2018 voicemail

By Rajan Laad

The White House press corps may be the most important group of journalists in the U.S.  They are based at the nation's center of power in Washington, D.C., and also at the headquarters of the Executive Branch of the federal government.

Their functioning is essential to democracy.  Their job is to represent 331 million citizens and hold the White House accountable.  If the White House attempts to evade questions, they must press the powerful and never concede until they receive satisfactory answers.

That is how a democracy works in theory.

So what is the reality?

The White House press corps is a liberal echo chamber and part of the Washington Democrat establishment.  Its function is to show the Biden administration in a flattering light.  Seldom are any tough questions posed.  When Biden speaks at a news conference, the questions often appear to be pre-screened.  Perhaps White House officials provide questions that the press pretend are theirs and dutifully ask during press briefings.  It is all a disgraceful charade to deceive the public.

Even when the White House press corps are treated poorly by the Biden administration and restricted access to key White House events, their members do not express any outrage in public or on social media.  Instead, they dispatch a politely worded letter to the White House press secretary in private, where they docilely plead for access.  The reason for the request is not to defend democracy, but because it "undermines President Biden's credibility when he says he is a defender of the First Amendment."

There are few thorns in this bed of roses who dare to sow discord in the echo chamber by asking questions that hold everyone from the press secretary to the president accountable.

The self-proclaimed proponents of democracy do not take kindly to being questioned or challenged.  Remember this?

In times where there has been such a total surrender of initiative and collapse of credibility, performing basic duties seems like a heroic and revolutionary act.

The heroic revolutionary of yesterday was Fox News White House correspondent  Peter Doocy, once again.

Doocy questioned White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre about Joe Biden's alleged voicemail about his son's business dealings in China.

The purported 2018 voicemail published by the Daily Mail has Joe Biden talking to his son, Hunter, regarding a piece that appeared in the New York Times that covered Hunter's shady business dealings in China, telling him he is likely "in the clear."

In the past, Biden has repeatedly claimed he has never spoken to his son about his business dealings.

Even former White House press secretary Jen Psaki repeated the claim that Biden "does not get involved in the business dealings of his son."

The following are the specifics of the exchange between Doocy and Jean-Pierre:

Doocy asked, "Why is there a voicemail of the president talking to his son about his overseas business dealings if the president has said he's never spoken to his son about his overseas business dealings?"

Jean-Pierre replied, "First, I'll say that what the president said stands, so if that's what the president said, that is what stands."

Doocy pressed further: "He left a voicemail about a New York Times article concerning Hunter Biden's business dealings and says, 'I think you're clear.'  How is that him not talking to his son about his overseas business dealings?"

Jean-Pierre was defiant: "I am not going to talk about alleged materials on the laptop," she insisted.  "It is not happening."

Doocy: "You're refuting, then, that is not—"

Doocy's heroism was contagious.

RealClearPolitics White House reporter Phillip Wegmann followed up on Doocy's question and reminded Jean-Pierre of Biden's promise to be transparent.

Wegmann asked, "You seemed to dismiss Peter's question about his conversation with his son, Hunter Biden, with regards to his business dealings.  I'm wondering how is that silence consistent with the president's promise to always level with the American public because in public he says he hasn't discussed these business dealings, and then at least according to the voicemail that has been obtained by the Daily Mail and Washington Examiner, it certainly seems like he was seeking to do exactly that, have a conversation about these business dealings.  Is he leveling with the American public on this?"

Jean-Pierre repeated again that she cannot discuss materials from Hunter's laptop and referred him to his representative.

That concluded the matter.

According to reports by the Senate Finance Committee and Senate Homeland Security Committee, CEFC China Energy wired nearly $4.8 million to Hunter's law firm through September 2018.

Also, Hunter's laptop contained receipts and emails that provided ample proof of his shady dealings in China and with the Ukrainian energy company Burisma, where Hunter served on the board of directors.

This is why, back in October 2020, Democrats, the media, and Big Tech colluded to suppress the news pertaining to Hunter's laptop and dismissed it as Russian disinformation.  A study showed that one in six voters would have changed his vote had he known of the laptop.  This was another way the Democrats rigged the 2020 presidential election.

Jean-Pierre's attempt to dismiss a question pertaining to serious allegations against the nation's first family is nothing short of outrageous.

In a democracy, the White House press secretary cannot decline any questions posed by the press.  She is obliged to provide answers, especially on matters of such grave importance.

If the White House press corps had any morals, they would have staged a walkout and returned only when Jean-Pierre provided a satisfactory answer.

But that won't happen.

The White House press corps that assumed a viciously adversarial role during the press briefings of the Trump administration now willingly and suppliantly wag their tails before Biden officials, hoping for biscuits to be tossed in their direction. 

This is more proof that democracy is rapidly eroding under the Biden administration.

Photo credit: Twitter video screen grab.

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