House Republicans release report recommending Hunter Biden be held in contempt of Congress
NBCJAN 2024
Hunter Biden Makes Brief Appearance at House Committee Hearing
Image copyright: Kent Nishimura/Getty Images News via Getty Images
The Spin
Republican narrative
Hunter Biden didn't present a motive for this stunt, but it sure seemed like he was trying to taunt the committee that’s trying to hold him in contempt. The president's son had the look of a man who knows that even if Congress votes to hold him in contempt, his father's weaponized Dept. of Justice — which in the past has prosecuted Republicans for the same crime — will not hold him accountable. This was a shameful display.
Democratic narrative
In an effort to distract from their ineptitude as legislators, House Republicans insist on carrying on with their fruitless search for a crime they can pin on the president. Hunter Biden has stated several times that he's willing to testify in public, but Republicans want him behind closed doors so they can spin his words into supposedly damning statements after the hearing. Even when the president's son shows up on Capitol Hill, all the GOP does is turn a Congressional hearing into a kangaroo court and a circus.