Joe Biden has spoken out in defense his son Hunter, insisting he ‘did not do a single thing wrong’ in his business dealings with Ukraine.
Hunter Biden’s work in Ukraine and China remains an emphasis of Trump’s broadsides against his father, the current front-runner of the Democratic presidential nomination race.
Biden’s son took a post on the board of Ukrainian energy firm, Burisma, after his father became the Obama administration’s point man on U.S.-Ukraine relations, and was reportedly paid $50,000-$80,000 each month for several years.
Trump’s focus on finding information about the Biden’s Ukraine connections is now at the heart of a House impeachment inquiry against the president, however Joe Biden insists Trump’s cries of foul play are seriously misplaced.
‘He did not do a single thing wrong, as everybody’s investigated,’ Biden assured on CBS’ 60 Minutes, on Sunday, referencing the findings of Ukrainian investigators who determined neither of the Bidens had acted illegally.
Joe Biden has spoken out in defense his son Hunter, insisting he ‘did not do a single thing wrong’ in his business dealings with Ukraine
Hunter Biden took a post on the board of Ukrainian energy firm, Burisma, after his father became the Obama administration’s point man on U.S.-Ukraine relations, and was reportedly paid $50,000-$80,000 each month for several years
In a recent interview, Hunter Biden said the only thing his father said to him at the time he took the post at Burisma was, ‘I hope you know what you’re doing.’
When asked by Norah O’Donnell what he meant by that, Joe Biden said: ‘He’s a grown man. What I meant by that is I hope is I hope you’ve thought this through. I hope you know exactly what you’re doin’ here.’
When pressed to elaborate further, Biden continued: ‘That’s all I meant. Nothing more than that because I’ve never discussed my business or their business, my sons’ or daughter’s.
‘And I’ve never discussed them because they know where I have to do my job and that’s it and they have to make their own judgments.’
Of Trump’s recent declarations that both he and Hunter are ‘stone cold corrupt’, Biden repeated a line he’s started using on the campaign trail, urging Trump to release his tax returns.
‘Mr. President … let’s see how straight you are, okay old buddy?’ Biden said. ‘I put out 21 years of mine. You wanna deal with corruption? Start to act like it. Release your tax returns or shut up.’
Noting the favorable outcome of the Ukrainian authority’s investigation, the former vice president blasted social media giant Facebook for allowing the Trump campaign to distribute online ads framing the Bidens as corrupt.
‘You know, I’m glad they brought the Russians down,’Biden said of Facebook’s recent decision to shut down accounts that were distributing misinformation. But, the former vice president also asked, ‘Why don’t you bring down the lies that Trump is telling and everybody knows are lies?’
Hunter Biden in a recent interview said the only thing his father said to him at the time he took the post at Burisma was, ‘I hope you know what you’re doing.’ When asked by Norah O’Donnell what he meant by that, Joe Biden said: ‘He’s a grown man. What I meant by that is I hope is I hope you’ve thought this through. I hope you know exactly what you’re doin’ here’
In addition to calling out Trump for failing to disclose his taxes, he also called the president ‘improper’ for having his daughter Ivanka and son-in-law Jared Kushner (above) hold positions in the White House, suggesting that Kushner (above) is not qualified to weigh in on the complex affairs assigned by his father-in-law
Trump’s attacks have not displaced Biden as a duel Democratic front-runner alongside Sen. Elizabeth Warren. But it has nonetheless raised new questions about Biden’s argument that he’d be the best Democrat to take on the Republican president in a general election.
And the Biden attack ads Trump and Republicans have financed in early nominating states, combined with Biden’s own lagging fundraising, have led some of his wealthy supporters to openly discuss the possibility of launching an independent political action committee.
In addition to calling out Trump for failing to disclose his taxes, he also called the president ‘improper’ for having his daughter and son-in-law hold positions in the White House, suggesting that Jared Kushner is not qualified to weigh in on the complex affairs assigned by his father-in-law.
‘You should make it clear to the American public that everything you’re doing is for them,’ Biden said when he was asked about Ivanka Trump and Kushner, her husband, in White House posts with significant policy portfolios.
Of Trump’s recent declarations that both he and Hunter are ‘stone cold corrupt’, Biden repeated a line he’s started using on the campaign trail, urging Trump to release his tax returns
‘Their actions speak for themselves. I can just tell you this, that if I’m president get elected president my children are not gonna have offices in the White House. My children are not gonna sit in on Cabinet meetings.’
Asked specifically whether he thinks Kushner should be tasked with negotiating Middle East peace agreements, Biden laughed. ‘No, I don’t,’ he said. ‘What credentials does he bring to that?’
Biden’s CBS interview was taped before his recent decision to reverse his previous opposition to such a Super PAC, a move that Warren and Sen. Bernie Sanders have indirectly criticized. Biden did address his campaign’s cash balance being dwarfed by Warren and Sanders, saying he’s ‘not worried’ about raising enough money.
As to just how he can withstand Sanders’ and Warren’s grassroots fundraising juggernauts, he replied, ‘I just flat beat them.’