President Joe Biden has not shied away from his son.
Despite the House of Representatives opening an impeachment inquiry largely centered on Hunter Biden‘s foreign business dealings, the president has kept his son close by.
NIKKI HALEY’S 2024 CAMPAIGN MOMENTUM UNDER NEW SPOTLIGHT IN IOWA CAUCUSES
Joe and Hunter Biden had lunch with friends on Monday, and then Hunter Biden flew on Air Force One and Marine One as the first family returned from Delaware on Tuesday.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre parried questions that the administration was trying to hide Hunter Biden by not listing him on the passenger manifests it shares with reporters.
“That’s something that we’ve never done,” Jean-Pierre said on Tuesday. “This is the family. The family gets to travel with the president, and that’s been the case with every other president. And so it’s not something that we’ve done or we would be doing moving forward.”
On the contrary, Hunter Biden’s presence in direct view of press photographers and reporters and in White House pool reports may show that Joe Biden is unafraid to embrace his son publicly.
The president has kept Hunter Biden close throughout his presidency and has repeatedly said that he’s proud of his son. That stance appears unchanged even with the younger Biden facing a criminal indictment and defying a congressional subpoena.
While Republicans are crying foul, the bigger political question is whether voters decide Joe Biden is acting as a loving father to a troubled son or if associating himself so closely helps Republicans as they attempt to tie the elder Biden to his alleged corruption.
Democratic strategist Brad Bannon thinks the former will win out.
“He’s being supportive of his son,” Bannon said. “It’s the holiday season, families get together, and that’s no different for the president of the United States. I think Republicans are overplaying their hand in this case with the impeachment inquiry, and they will live to regret it.”
Monday’s lunch between Joe and Hunter Biden came as the Biden family marked the 51st anniversary of the car crash that killed Hunter Biden’s mother, Neilia, and his 1-year-old sister.
In any case, Bannon says most voters would prefer the GOP focus its attention elsewhere.
“Rather than dealing with issues that even they feel are important, such as the economy, all Republicans can do is an impeachment inquiry on Joe Biden,” he said. “This is beginning to remind me of 1998 when the Republicans went overboard on the Bill Clinton impeachment and paid the price by losing the House. That’s where they’re headed here.”
A Fox News poll conducted earlier this month included two Hunter Biden-related questions. When asked if Hunter Biden is being treated fairly by the legal system, 66% of respondents said he was, which could indicate support for his indictments.
The second question asked if the Department of Justice had been too tough, not tough enough, or fair to Hunter Biden. On that one, 55% said not tough enough and 34% said fair. Just 7% thought the DOJ was being too tough, again pointing to support for its actions.
Even so, voters may conclude that Hunter Biden’s alleged misdeeds — he is accused of foreign influence peddling while Biden was vice president — are unconnected to his father. Hunter Biden made that case himself during a defiant appearance at the Capitol earlier this month.
“They belittled my recovery and they have tried to dehumanize me, all to embarrass my father, who has devoted his entire life to public service,” Hunter Biden said. “For six years, I have been a target of the unrelenting Trump attack team. ‘Where’s Hunter?’ Well, here’s my answer. I am here.”
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Republican strategist John Feehery tends to agree that voters are likelier to sympathize with Joe Biden’s actions toward Hunter Biden rather than be repulsed by them.
“In many ways, it is quite admirable,” he said. “Blood is and should be thicker than politics. A cynic might say that the president is keeping Hunter close because he doesn’t want his son to throw him under the bus. But from a political perspective, I think most Biden supporters appreciate the loyalty.”
