White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre is facing mounting calls for her to be fired after last week’s bust-up with reporters who pressed her on the unfolding corruption scandal involving President Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden.
Reporters asked Jean-Pierre about the newly released testimony buy IRS whistleblowers, which revealed Hunter Biden threatened a Chinese business partner for payment by using his father’s name.
House Republicans are in possession of the WhatsApp message provided to them by an IRS whistleblower, which clearly shows Hunter making the threat.
During a press conference, House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith (R-Mo.) said one IRS agent told Smith’s committee that agency investigators found messages from an iCloud search warrant, but prosecutors ‘denied investigators’ requests to further look into messages and denied investigators’ suggestion to obtain location information.
However, one message investigators contained was sent via the WhatsApp platform from Hunter Biden to Henry Zhao on July 30, 2017.
The transcript of the exchange was provided by Smith’s committee, which appeared to show Hunter Biden name-dropped his father, Joe Biden, while making the threat.
The text message read:
“I am sitting here with my father, and we would like to understand why the commitment made has not been fulfilled. Tell the director that I would like to resolve this now before it gets out of hand, and now means tonight. And, Z, if I get a call or text from anyone involved in this other than you, Zhang, or the chairman, I will make certain that between the man sitting next to me and every person he knows and my ability to forever hold a grudge that you will regret not following my direction. I am sitting here waiting for the call with my father.”
National Security spokesman John Kirby refused to answer questions from reporters regarding the message.
Meanwhile, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre faced the same questions on the Biden corruption scandal, including whether or not Joe Biden was in the room at the time Hunter made the threat.
Jean-Pierre refused to answer.
Former Fox News reporter James Rosen, who is now with Newsmax, pressed Jean-Pierre on the WhatsApp messages but didn’t get anywhere.
New York Times correspondent Peter Baker also tried to get the White House Press Secretary to respond.
“Can I follow up on that? So Kirby wouldn’t answer James’ question, though. Are you gonna answer the question? It’s not an unreasonable question to ask when the president of the United States was involved, as this message seems to suggest, in some sort of coercive conversation for business dealings by his son. Is that something? If he wasn’t, maybe you should tell us,” he said.
“I appreciate the question. I believe my colleague at the White House counsel has answered this question,” Jean-Pierre responded.
“No, you didn’t: Yes or no, was the president involved in the shakedown attempt?” asked New York Post reporter Steven Nelson.
“Steven, I just answered the question … It’s not up to you how I answer the question,” Jean-Pierre snapped back, appearing to become irate.
Rosen then asked the press secretary if she stood by an earlier claim that Joe Biden had no knowledge of Hunter’s business dealings.
Rosen then asked the press secretary if she stood by an earlier claim that Joe Biden had no knowledge of Hunter’s business dealings.
“Nothing has changed,” she confirmed.
CBS News Weijia Jiang asked the same question:
“To follow up on what my colleague was saying in regard to this text message and what the president’s son was alleging: Was the president there or not?”
“I would refer to my colleagues at the White House counsel,” Jean-Pierre said, adding later that she had no plans to ask Joe Biden to answer the question.
