Tipsheet

Hunter Biden's Book Has a Terrible Debut

The numbers are in for Hunter Biden's "Beautiful Things" book sales, and they're not so hot.

As Fox News' Brian Flood reported, citing Publisher's Weekly, the memoir ranked 12th last week, selling 10,638 copies. It was released on April 6. In other words, it was hardly a stellar debut. At the top spot of nonfiction book sales was Amanda Gorman's "The Hill We Climb: An Inaugural Poem for the Country," which came out on March 30. It sold 42,318 copies last week, for a total of 256,985.

Other rankings are a bit more suspect, however. 

Biden's memoir places fourth on the New York Times best-selling nonfiction list, while Brandi Carlile's "Broken Horses" placed first. On the Publishers Weekly list of non-fiction book sales for that week, she placed third, with 24,097. It was released the same day as "Beautiful Things," and sold more than double the amount of copies.

Biden also sat down with late-night host Jimmy Kimmel, for an exchange which was also full of giggles, bashing the Trumps, and selective discussion of all of the controversy surrounding Biden. Neither could seem to acknowledge that Biden is in the position he is in because his father was vice-president and is now the sitting president.

This went on all while Biden escaped blame and went unquestioned by Kimmel. For instance, Biden stuck by an excerpt Kimmel read. "Did I make a mistake by taking a seat on the board of a Ukrainian gas company? No. Did I display a lack of judgment? No. Would I do it again? No." He told Kimmel that "what I didn't take into account was the way in which they would use the perception against my dad. And for that, I wouldn't do it again for that reason."

He then proceeds to cover the incident in an 18-page chapter that reads like a research paper compiled by a reluctant student. Was Biden appointed to the board because of his last name?

Perhaps, he writes, but: “My response has always been to work harder so that my accomplishments stand on their own.”

Did he display a lack of judgment? “No.”

Would he do it again? “I did nothing unethical, and have never been charged with wrongdoing.”

Perhaps the most glowing review came from CNN's Brian Stelter, who nearly fell over himself as he and panelists heaped praise upon the book during a "Reliable Sources" segment.

As Flood pointed out "CNN did not have a conservative on the panel to offer an opposing viewpoint," though this is hardly unheard of from the network.