During a discussion on CNN after House Speaker Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) dubiously announced the commencement of an impeachment inquiry targeting President Joe Biden without an accompanying vote making it official, host Abby Phillip confronted Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) — known as an impeachment supporter — about the clear lack of conclusive evidence.
The main point of contention from Republicans with the president is his alleged involvement in business dealings of Hunter Biden, an adult son to the president. There’s been simply no evidence to show that Joe Biden financially benefited from any of Hunter’s business dealings in any manner, which would be a key marker of any meaningful connection. And on another critical front, there’s been no showing of a single change to the older Biden’s political approaches in office that can be tied to Hunter’s business transactions. Joe Biden’s pressure for the removal of an infamous Ukrainian prosecutor aligned with governmental interests totally distinct from Hunter or other family members.
“We do have bank records, devices, laptops, travel records, changes in administration policy,” Gaetz claimed. “Seems like pretty strong evidence to me.”
“It’s not about what I believe,” the host replied, as Gaetz tried to continue. “It’s about whether there is evidence that President Biden is linked to the misdeeds that might be linked to Hunter Biden.”
“If you had evidence that Joe Biden was linked to Hunter Biden’s business deals in a way that is illegal, we wouldn’t be having this conversation. You would probably have the votes for an impeachment inquiry, but you don’t,” Phillip continued. “Because of people like Ken Buck. And people like Don Bacon. And many others in your conference.”
It’s unclear that McCarthy making a show this week of announcing an impeachment inquiry will actually mean anything at all in substantive terms. Republicans have already been conducting various investigations into the president and top officials in his administration that it was already clear could lead to Republicans approving impeachment, which it was also already clear would almost certainly be dead on arrival in the Senate, considering the chamber’s Democratic majority. McCarthy invoking the language of impeachment doesn’t provide any additional investigative powers to Republicans, Rep. Daniel Goldman (D-N.Y.) said.
“If you had evidence that Joe Biden was linked to Hunter Biden’s business deals in a way that is illegal, we wouldn’t be having this conversation. You would probably have the votes for an impeachment inquiry, but you don’t” pic.twitter.com/85K2O9L1d5
— Acyn (@Acyn) September 13, 2023
