Devon Archer, the former best friend of Hunter Biden, gave closed-door testimony to lawmakers yesterday, and today, Republicans and Democrats are rushing to spin the testimony. Republicans, naturally, are working to frame Archer’s testimony as evidence that Hunter Biden acted nefariously. Democrats, the opposite.
Archer’s testimony apparently included “assertions that Hunter Biden was selling the “illusion of access” to his father and that Hunter Biden sometimes put President Biden on speakerphone to talk to his business associates,” The Hill reported. Now, “the revelations are fueling Republican attempts to link the president to his son’s business dealings.”
As expected, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and Oversight Chairman James Comer are using Archer’s testimony as proof that President Biden lied when he said he had never spoken with his son about foreign business dealings.
“But Democrats say Archer’s testimony to the House Oversight Committee on Monday actually shows the president was not involved in Hunter Biden’s foreign business affairs.”
No Smoking Gun on Hunter Biden?
For months now, Republicans have been getting excited about every tidbit of evidence relating to Hunter Biden and his foreign business dealings. The Archer testimony was the latest string of events/evidence-reveals that Republicans had touted like a marquee event in the downfall of President Biden.
But again, the evidence was pretty limp. Hunter Biden would put his dad on speakerphone. Okay. Hunter sounds like a twerp, flexing his dad’s status – but this isn’t exactly a smoking gun here. It’s not really news. It’s certainly not worth the taxpayer investment to flush out the fact that Hunter puts his dad on speakerphone when speaking to business associates.
Maybe the Archer testimony is another breadcrumb that leads to a significant disclosure, some evidence of legitimate wrongdoing. But it’s hard to tell when Republicans get so excited over every little tidbit, know what I mean? When Comer gets up in front of the press and tells you that this is proof positive that
Biden is corrupt when it’s clearly not proof positive that Biden is corrupt you grow skeptical. When Comer does that, like, continuously for months, you lose faith in the process.
Archer was supposed to be the man behind the scenes with all the hottest Biden gossip. Archer was Hunter’s best friend, they started companies together, golfed together, partied together. Archer was supposed to have the dirt. Hunter put his dad on speakerphone? What am I supposed to do with that information? And in a week or two when Comer has some new FBI form or Biden whistleblower, how much respect are we expected to pay?
Similarly, I don’t trust Democrats who will fight tooth and nail to frame everything the Bidens did as purely innocent. I’m receptive to the idea that not everything the Bidens ever did was kosher. But no one has ever shown me substantial evidence to demonstrate that something unethical or illegal transpired.
I am possibly jaded but I see the Biden investigation as a continuation in Congress’s regrettable recent history of partisan prosecution.
Bill Clinton and his various scandals. Donald Trump and his various scandals. Joe Biden and his various scandals.
The thing from Clinton to Trump to Biden is it’s all been a lot of hot air. Unsavory perhaps but not demonstrably illegal. And I’m losing my patience for the carnival barking, the declarations of damning evidence imminently incoming. Give us something tangible, or please, move on to more pressing priorities.
Harrison Kass is the Senior Editor and opinion writer at 19FortyFive. An attorney, pilot, guitarist, and minor pro hockey player, Harrison joined the US Air Force as a Pilot Trainee but was medically discharged. Harrison holds a BA from Lake Forest College, a JD from the University of Oregon, and an MA from New York University. Harrison listens to Dokken.
From 19FortyFive
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