OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki got noticeably frustrated after a reporter asked her about Hunter Biden’s laptop and his recent alleged divestment from a Chinese investment firm.
During the press briefing, Psaki was asked about the Biden administration publishing a plan to fight corruption.
The plan, titled “United States Strategy on Countering Corruption,” details the administration’s plan to combat corruption, which Joe Biden called a “core U.S. national security interest.”
New York Post reporter Steven Nelson asked Psaki how the Biden administration’s plan to fight corruption intersects with Hunter Biden’s business dealings.
“The Biden administration today put out a big report about addressing corruption. I want to ask you two quick and hopefully pretty easy questions about that. Shortly after President Biden’s virtual meeting with the Chinese president, the first son’s attorney said that he has finally divested from a Chinese investment fund controlled by state-owned entities. I was hoping you could commit to basic transparency about that transaction, including the name of the buyer, the dollar amount, and the timing,” Nelson began.
“And the second question is: My colleague Miranda Devine has a new book out called the ‘Laptop From Hell,’ and I was hoping that you could confirm that the laptop is indeed authentic and not Russian disinformation, as you seemed to suggest on Twitter last year,” he asked Psaki.
Psaki was clearly not happy about the question and even tried to move on to another reporter.
“Well, on the first, the president’s son is not an employee of the federal government, so I’d point you to his representatives. And as it relates to the book: I have neither had the time nor interest in exploring or reading the book. Go ahead, Tina,” Psaki said, cutting off Nelson and trying to call on another reporter.
“But the president’s son —,” Nelson responded before being cut off, “didn’t give any information on the transaction.”
“Go ahead, Tina,” Psaki said, talking over Nelson.
“I think I answered your question. Go ahead — you can go to the representative of the person who is not an employee of the federal government — go ahead, Tina,” Psaki said again.
“Yes, but he doesn’t give any information on that,” Nelson responded.
“I think we have to move on. Go ahead,” Psaki shot back, visibility frustrated.
WATCH:
Last month, Joe Biden held a virtual summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Soon after the summit, a lawyer for Hunter Biden said his client had divested from BHR Partners, a Chinese investment firm.
But a reporter from the New York Post explained that details about Hunter Biden’s divestment are shrouded in mystery.
All details regarding the divestment are shrouded in mystery. It’s unclear, for example, whether Hunter Biden was paid by Chinese government-linked entities that control the company — or if he simply transferred his ownership to another person, such as a family member, without compensation.
It’s also unclear if the divestment happened before or after Hunter’s father held the three-and-a-half hour virtual summit with Xi.
A report last month alleged that Hunter Biden was paid roughly $10 million annually to help spread Chinese influence in the United States.
New York Post columnist Miranda Devine details in her new book titled “Laptop from Hell,” the alleged dirty business dealings between Hunter Biden and a Chinese energy company named CEFC.
