President Biden declared on Friday that his son Hunter Biden “has done nothing wrong” as federal prosecutors near a decision on whether to charge the first son with tax and gun crimes.
Biden’s defense of Hunter came in a rare sit-down interview with MSNBC host Stephanie Ruhle that aired Friday night at 10 p.m.
“My son has done nothing wrong. I trust him. I have faith in him and it impacts my presidency by making me feel proud of him,” Biden, 80, told Ruhle when asked about how the first son being charged would impact his presidency.
Delaware US Attorney David Weiss, who is handling the Justice Department’s four-year-long investigation into Hunter Biden, is reportedly close to deciding on whether to charge the president’s son.
Weiss is reportedly considering seeking an indictment against Hunter for felony and misdemeanor tax charges and for allegedly lying on a federal gun purchasing form.
During Friday’s interview, Biden also made his case for re-election and discussed his debt-ceiling standoff with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.)
Biden called himself “honorable” and “effective” and touted his “wisdom” when asked by Ruhle to explain why voters should choose him to occupy the White House for a second term when he would be 82-years-old on Inauguration Day.
“I have acquired a hell of a lot of wisdom. And know more than the vast majority of people – I’m more experienced than anybody who has ever run for the office,” Biden bragged, referring to his nearly 50 years in public office.
“And I think I’ve proven myself to be honorable as well as also effective,” he added.
As he embarks on his 2024 re-election campaign, Biden, the oldest president in US history, is still under criminal investigation by the Justice Department over his handling of classified material from his time as Barack Obama’s vice president and from his 36 years in the Senate.
Republicans on Capitol Hill also revealed this week that a whistleblower has informed the House Oversight Committee that the FBI received a tip about alleged criminal conduct involving Biden.
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) and Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) revealed the whistleblower information Wednesday, saying the tip involves “an alleged criminal scheme involving then-Vice President Biden and a foreign national relating to the exchange of money for policy decisions.”
Biden has not taken questions about the allegation since it was levied.
When asked about his negotiations with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) to try and raise the nation’s debt ceiling, Biden said that he believed the House speaker was an honest broker but argued that he is beholden to far-right elements of the Republican Party.
“I think he’s an honest man,” Biden said of McCarthy. “I think he’s in a position though – he had to make a deal that was pretty, you know, 15 votes, 15 votes, that he just about sold away everything that he – to the far far right.”
“There’s the Republican Party and there is MAGA Republicans, and the MAGA Republicans really have put him in a position where in order to stay speaker, he has to agree, he’s agreed to things that maybe believes but are just extreme,” Biden argued.
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen warned lawmakers this week that the US government could default on its debt as early as June 1 if Congress does not raise the country’s borrowing limit.
Biden, McCarthy, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) are expected to meet at the White House on May 9 to discuss the debt ceiling.
The president, however, was adamant that “there’s no possibility” he would agree to the GOP-backed debt ceiling legislation that recently passed in the House.
“Zero – zero possibility,” he emphasized.
When asked if there is any chance Congress can pass any legislation on a bipartisan basis before the 2024 presidential election, Biden responded, “Yes.”
The president seemed a bit perturbed when asked by Ruhle why his polling numbers are so low despite his first-term accomplishments.
“All they’ve heard is negative news for three years,” Biden responded, casting blame on the media. “Everything is negative.”
The president’s criticism of how reporters have covered him came on the same day the White House unveiled new press badge restrictions and rules for media access to press briefings and events.
Biden also praised his 2024 running mate – Vice President Kamala Harris – who some Democrats have suggested should’ve been replaced on the re-election ticket.
“She is really very, very good. And with everything going on, she hasn’t gotten the attention she deserves,” Biden argued.
Biden added that his former boss Barack Obama is “committed to help in any way can” to get him and Harris back in the White House for a second term.