On Wednesday, Hunter Biden managed to show up for his closed-door testimony with the House Oversight and Judiciary Committees as House Republicans investigate any role his father, President Joe Biden may have had in his son's business dealings as part of their impeaching inquiry. The transcript was released on Thursday afternoon, with House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-KY) also indicating that there will be a public hearing for Hunter. In addition to the key excerpts and takeaways that the Oversight Committee has shared, people have also taken to highlighting a particularly immature moment of the deposition featuring Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) over his snide remarks about the release of the transcript, even asking if it would be released in "Russian or English?"
The congressman interjected at the beginning, when general counsel for Comer's office was going over the process, to raise a point of "parliament inquiry." While the counsel told him "I'm going to get to that in one moment," Swalwell snapped he was asking Comer. House Judiciary Ranking Member Jerry Nadler (D-NY) also felt the need to jump in.
While the response of "within a day" was good enough for Nadler, something the general counsel leading the deposition said they'd "do [their] best about," Swalwell had to respond by asking if it would be "In English or Russian?"
"Excuse me? What'd you say?" Comer's counsel asked, though the chairman put a stop to any more back and forth. "We've already answered the question, Eric, and we're not going to tolerate outbursts like we had the last time," Comer reminded.
Rep. Swalwell beclowns himself at the outset of the Hunter Biden deposition. The majority ought to have responded "In Chinese" https://t.co/24XxNnyW7e pic.twitter.com/jMPYO0TT6A
— Benjamin Weingarten (@bhweingarten) February 29, 2024
Again, the transcript was released only just a day after the deposition took place, meaning it was released within that hoped for timeline.
Such a moment comes off as ridiculous but not surprising, especially as Comer pointed to "outbursts." Further, when Hunter skipped out of his testimony last December to share remarks on the Senate side of the Capitol, it was Swalwell who reserved the space.
When asking Hunter questions, Swalwell looked to divert the focus away from the Biden family to bring up former and potentially future President Donald Trump and his family, a tactic Hunter also used in his answers throughout the deposition. It was part of a move liberal die-hard Biden supporters like Brian Krassenstein slobbered all over for being "BRILLIANT!" Plenty of users weighed in to point of how nonsensical it all was, though.
No. LOL..."brilliant"?
— Sophia Johnson (@Pattyfree) March 1, 2024
I was BELLY LAUGHING on how ridiculous his questions were.
This IS NOT ABOUT PRESIDENT TRUMP...WTH?
He had ZERO questions regarding Hunter's defense—no explanation queried regarding the allegations?
Deflecting is a 🚨🚨🚨🚨 for intelligent people.
Swallwell is the guy that sleeps with Chinese spies? I don't think he's qualified to speak about this subject at all.
— TheLastDon (@TheLastDon222) March 1, 2024
This isn't brilliant it's obfuscation. He's purposely confusing the issue to protect Joe and not asking any questions that pertain to Hunter's case.
— Caballero 🏹 (@HughAkston0) March 1, 2024
I'm absolutely fine with him asking the Trump's these questions, but don't be disingenuous just because of party politics.
If you think Swalwell can be associated with the word “brilliant”, you’re not very bright. https://t.co/8cPDqB8m7b
— Jake13th 🏴☠️ (@JakeThirteenth) March 1, 2024
Hunter's opening statement on Wednesday caused a lot of chatter, especially as he went for political talking points about "MAGA-Motivated Conspiracy Theories" to defend his father and made excuses for his actions, and also went for that changed narrative about any involvement his father had.
While Hunter claimed "I did not involve my father in my business," Biden said on the campaign trail that he never even spoke with his son about such dealings.
Takeaways from the Oversight Committee are also below, starting with a focus on how Hunter indeed "received money from a Chinese company." Although he couldn't say how much, he still characterized it as "incredibly ethical."
Contrary to Joe Biden’s past statements, Hunter Biden admitted he received money from Chinese companies but characterized it as “incredibly ethical.” pic.twitter.com/J0dthU8Knu
— Oversight Committee (@GOPoversight) March 1, 2024
Hunter also spoke about how he traveled with his father, Vice President Biden on Air Force Two to Beijing, where he introduced him to a business partner of his, Jonathan Li, with Biden even writing a college recommendation letter for Li. That he was willing to do so signified a connection as "close friends."
Li also gave what Hunter described as a "loan" that was wired to him, which his friend, attorney, and "sugar brother" Kevin Morris has taken on. Morris has also been before the Committees for a transcribed interview.
Li, the CEO of a state-backed investment firm, wired $250,000 to Hunter Biden as a “loan” that Hunter Biden never repaid. Instead, Dem Donor Kevin Morris took on the debt for Hunter. pic.twitter.com/gKqQ8dKp6P
— Oversight Committee (@GOPoversight) March 1, 2024
Hunter also spoke to his interactions with Ye Jianming, the chairman of CEFC, a CCP-linked company. It was during a trip to Miami in February 2017 that Ye gave him a diamond. That trip to Miami has come up in previous testimony as well, with regards to Hunter's business partner Rob Walker.
Walker, in his testimony, mentioned they had met Ye at a Four Seasons in Washington, D.C., where then private citizen Biden stopped by. Although Hunter could not remember it, he said "I don't contest Rob's memory of it" and "If Rob is certain of that, then it most likely happened."
Rob Walker previously told the Committees that Joe Biden met with CEFC officials at the Four Seasons hotel in Washington, D.C. Hunter Biden could not recall the meeting. pic.twitter.com/6lRxQ4odMN
— Oversight Committee (@GOPoversight) March 1, 2024
An oft-discussed WhatsAp message, including in testimonies of other witnesses, came up. While Hunter claimed his father was not with him when he sent such a message demanding payment from CEFC in 2017, and that he "was out of [his] mind," reporting from The New York Post pointed to how photos from Hunter's laptop revealed that Hunter was at his father's home in Delaware the same day he used him as leverage.
Hunter also spoke to meeting up with Ye and CEFC's Kevin Dong, along with his father, for a lunch meeting.
Hunter Biden admitted he attempted to set up a lunch between his father and CEFC associates. pic.twitter.com/6irqjvPgUI
— Oversight Committee (@GOPoversight) March 1, 2024
While Tony Bobulinski and his testimony have been smeared by Walker, the media and by Democrats, Hunter confirmed his testimony that he met with Joe Biden and Joe Biden's brother, James Biden, in California.
As for putting his father on speaker phone during meetings with his foreign business associates, Hunter confirmed he did that as well, that he "would put him on speakerphone to say hi..."
Hunter Biden admitted he put his father on speakerphone with his foreign business associates. pic.twitter.com/m6TiWQKLjd
— Oversight Committee (@GOPoversight) March 1, 2024
Hunter also confirmed the dinner meetings his father had as vice president with Kazakhstani and Russian oligarchs.
Hunter Biden confirmed his father, then-Vice President Biden, dined with Russian oligarch, Yelena Baturina, Kazakhstani oligarch, Kenes Rakishev, and Burisma’s corporate secretary, Vadym Pozharsky, at Café Milano in D.C. pic.twitter.com/SG8qIxovF3
— Oversight Committee (@GOPoversight) March 1, 2024
The Oversight Committee pointed how such testimony "confirms much of the evidence uncovered to date in our impeachment inquiry of President Joe Biden," but still reiterated the need for a public hearing to square away the parts of the testimony that were inconsistent.
Hunter Biden’s testimony confirms much of the evidence uncovered to date in our impeachment inquiry of President Joe Biden. However, parts of his testimony are inconsistent with other witnesses’ testimonies. It’s clear we need a public hearing to get the truth for the American…
— Oversight Committee (@GOPoversight) March 1, 2024
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