California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) attempted to defend President Joe Biden’s son, Hunter Biden, in a recent CNN interview — claiming that family influence peddling was “hardly unique.”
Newsom’s remarks came during an interview with CNN host Dana Bash on Monday, where they discussed the House impeachment inquiry into the president and House Republicans’ investigations into Hunter Biden’s shady foreign business dealings.
“One of the things that Republicans are relentless on, of course, is Hunter Biden,” Bash noted.
She went on to falsely claim that there “is no evidence that Joe Biden benefited from anything that Hunter was doing” — adding that “Republicans have shown that Hunter Biden… tried to leverage his father’s name and that the president allegedly before he was president, joined phone calls that Hunter Biden’s business associates were on.”
“Do you see anything inappropriate there?” Bash asked.
“I don’t know enough about the details of that. I mean, I’ve seen a little of that,” Newsom responded.
“If that’s the new criteria, there are a lot of folks in a lot of industries — not just in politics — where people have family members and relationships and they’re trying to parlay and get a little influence and benefit in that respect. That’s hardly unique,” the California governor added.
“I don’t love that any more than you love it or other people, I imagine, love that. We want to see a lot less of that. But an impeachment inquiry? Give me a break,” he continued.
Newsom went on to attack Republicans for the potential government shutdown that may result from congressional Democrats and Republicans failing to come to an agreement on raising the debt ceiling.
“This is a joke. Ready, fire, aim. I mean, this is a perversity that the Founding Fathers never conceived of and imagined,” the Democrat governor said. “So, if that’s the best they can do, give me a break. That’s about public opinion.”
Meanwhile, Republicans have uncovered numerous pieces of evidence showing that Hunter Biden and several other Biden family members enriched themselves by selling access to Joe Biden — who has repeatedly denied ever having any involvement, knowledge, or discussions about his son’s business dealings, though evidence has emerged contradicting those claims. Republican lawmakers have also come forward with evidence showing that Joe Biden himself was involved in his son’s business dealings, and may have even taken bribes.
If Joe Biden took official action that benefited Burisma after depositing $5 million, Joe Biden should be charged & prosecuted for bribery.
That is the most grave allegation against a president that we've seen in our lifetimes. #Verdict https://t.co/vJGPoxxZCh pic.twitter.com/FLfKElvEKM
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) June 14, 2023
