At a certain point, Republicans are going to have to decide, either we’re doing this Joe Biden criminal bribery impeachment thing, or we’re not. And if they’re not, they’re going to have to decide whether to quietly never mention it again, because of the failure that it will clearly become, or whether they will make some kind of announcement, like for example, well, because of the fake news and weaponized justice system, we can’t move forward, or something along those lines. But let’s deal with those hypotheticals in a moment.
For years now, Joe Biden and Hunter Biden have been under investigation. I hesitate a little to use that word, because it’s been a very strange investigation, an investigation based on no evidence, and in many cases no crimes, where they can’t actually articulate what crime was committed.
Oh, influence peddling. Okay, what crime was committed? Well, it’s influence peddling. We’re now getting to what will hopefully be the climax, or more likely the anti-climax of this, which is that they’ve brought their witnesses through, and their witnesses can’t connect Joe Biden to any criminality. In many cases, they’re not even connecting Hunter Biden to criminality.
Now, Hunter has his legal problems. But they are completely separate from Joe Biden, they are not part of these investigations. But they bring witnesses through and they aren’t able to actually link Joe Biden to any crime or any high crime or misdemeanor for the purposes of political impeachment. So then they go on TV, and people like James Comer, and Nancy Mason, Jim Jordan, and other Republican members of the House of Representatives are asked, what specific policy changes did Joe Biden make as part of the influence peddling in exchange for hush money, or whatever? And typically, their answer is, well, we need to do the Impeachment Inquiry to find the evidence, because we believe the evidence is being hidden.
Now, there’s a bunch of interpretations here. One is that, while officially starting an impeachment inquiry, does grant some additional investigative powers. The house has investigative powers and the idea that they have no evidence, but the launch an impeachment inquiry, and then find it doesn’t make a lot of sense. And in fact, since launching the inquiry, they have found nothing. The other aspect of this is that when they are asked for the proof that they have evidence, whatever, they will say, well, we have bank records, we see money going between Jim and Joe Biden, or Hunter and Joe Biden, etc. And this really gets to the meaning and the definition of facts, evidence and proof.
If I tell you, I have a bank account, that’s a fact. It’s not evidence, unless I am more clear about related to what, and it’s not proof unless I tell you what I’m trying to prove. If the allegation as they have made, is that Joe Biden received money from China and potentially other actors, in exchange for making policy favorable to whoever was paying him. Just saying Biden received money from his brother, is neither evidence nor proof related to what you’re trying to prove. It may be a fact, Joe Biden, by everything I’ve seen, did get money from Jim Biden that he loaned Jim Biden, but it’s not evidence germane to this matter. And it’s certainly not proof of anything. Now, to many of you, this will come as a surprise. And what I mean is many average folks who sort of follow what’s going on, but are also busy living their lives, they might be in one of two camps. They may not even know that Republicans have been investigating Biden in this way, and making wild allegations of criminal bribery and corruption and all these things. So you may be surprised to hear that this is even going on. I envy you. I wish I didn’t know this was going on and hadn’t been following it.
On the other hand, there are some who have completely accepted, hook line and sinker, that Biden committed crimes, period, and that the Republicans have evidence, who will be surprised to hear that they still haven’t found any evidence. And when they are asked, as they were for example by Democratic Congressman Neguse, what crime do you even think might have happened? Not do you have evidence for it, just what’s the crime you’re investigating? They don’t have anything. That might be surprising to you, because that’s not the story that we have seen on many right-wing media outlets.
So the truth of the matter, where we are now, is that if you look for the evidence, if you look for the smoke for years and you don’t find it, maybe it’s because the person didn’t fire or doesn’t have a gun. And I know that this is going to be a really difficult pill to swallow for many on the right, but Joe Biden has been in public office for decades. He gets criticized for having been in public office for decades. If you’re in public office for decades, and you simply are unable to uncover the evidence about this individual, maybe it’s because they didn’t do the stuff you think they did. Maybe it’s because the evidence doesn’t exist.
And what Republicans now have to figure out is what is their escape pod? What is their eject button that gets them credibly to be able to not pursue this Biden nonsense without hurting themselves with voters in November? Who may punish them for going on this expensive wild goose chase for which there was never evidence? That’s the question that remains. Will voters punish Republicans for this? I don’t know the answer. curious to hear from you. Let me know in a comment
Commentary
Our commentary partners will help you reach your own conclusions on complex topics.
‘Instill optimism’: Americans on how future generations can succeed
Friday Dr. Frank Luntz‘Have a little compassion’: Americans talk high holiday prices, anxiety
Dec 11 Dr. Frank Luntz‘System is rigged’: Black Americans on the American Dream
Nov 27 Dr. Frank Luntz‘Extremist’ or ‘phony’: Americans share who they voted for and why
Nov 21 Dr. Frank LuntzGOP’s Biden investigation still has no evidence, no crime
By Straight Arrow News
In December 2023, House Republicans voted to open an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden to determine if he “improperly benefited” from his son’s alleged business deals. President Biden quickly fired back, stating that House Republicans were “choosing to waste time on this baseless political stunt” instead of doing their jobs.
Straight Arrow News contributor David Pakman agrees with President Biden, and reminds readers that the GOP House inquiries have failed to produce any evidence or even to make any real criminal accusation in the first place. Pakman asks Americans whether or not they will hold the GOP accountable for what he says is a tremendous waste of public resources.
On the other hand, there are some who have completely accepted, hook, line and sinker, that Biden committed crimes, period, and that the Republicans have evidence, who will be surprised to hear that they still haven’t found any evidence. And when they are asked, as they were for example by Democratic Congressman Neguse, ‘What crime do you even think might have happened?’ Not do you have evidence for it, just what’s the crime you’re investigating? They don’t have anything. That might be surprising to you, because that’s not the story that we have seen on many right-wing media outlets.
So the truth of the matter, where we are now, is that if you look for the evidence, if you look for the smoke for years and you don’t find it, maybe it’s because the person didn’t fire or doesn’t have a gun. And I know that this is going to be a really difficult pill to swallow for many on the Right, but Joe Biden has been in public office for decades. He gets criticized for having been in public office for decades. If you’re in public office for decades, and you simply are unable to uncover the evidence about this individual, maybe it’s because they didn’t do the stuff you think they did. Maybe it’s because the evidence doesn’t exist.
And what Republicans now have to figure out is what is their escape pod? What is their eject button that gets them credibly to be able to not pursue this Biden nonsense without hurting themselves with voters in November — who may punish them for going on this expensive wild goose chase for which there was never evidence? That’s the question that remains. Will voters punish Republicans for this?
At a certain point, Republicans are going to have to decide, either we’re doing this Joe Biden criminal bribery impeachment thing, or we’re not. And if they’re not, they’re going to have to decide whether to quietly never mention it again, because of the failure that it will clearly become, or whether they will make some kind of announcement, like for example, well, because of the fake news and weaponized justice system, we can’t move forward, or something along those lines. But let’s deal with those hypotheticals in a moment.
For years now, Joe Biden and Hunter Biden have been under investigation. I hesitate a little to use that word, because it’s been a very strange investigation, an investigation based on no evidence, and in many cases no crimes, where they can’t actually articulate what crime was committed.
Oh, influence peddling. Okay, what crime was committed? Well, it’s influence peddling. We’re now getting to what will hopefully be the climax, or more likely the anti-climax of this, which is that they’ve brought their witnesses through, and their witnesses can’t connect Joe Biden to any criminality. In many cases, they’re not even connecting Hunter Biden to criminality.
Now, Hunter has his legal problems. But they are completely separate from Joe Biden, they are not part of these investigations. But they bring witnesses through and they aren’t able to actually link Joe Biden to any crime or any high crime or misdemeanor for the purposes of political impeachment. So then they go on TV, and people like James Comer, and Nancy Mason, Jim Jordan, and other Republican members of the House of Representatives are asked, what specific policy changes did Joe Biden make as part of the influence peddling in exchange for hush money, or whatever? And typically, their answer is, well, we need to do the Impeachment Inquiry to find the evidence, because we believe the evidence is being hidden.
Now, there’s a bunch of interpretations here. One is that, while officially starting an impeachment inquiry, does grant some additional investigative powers. The house has investigative powers and the idea that they have no evidence, but the launch an impeachment inquiry, and then find it doesn’t make a lot of sense. And in fact, since launching the inquiry, they have found nothing. The other aspect of this is that when they are asked for the proof that they have evidence, whatever, they will say, well, we have bank records, we see money going between Jim and Joe Biden, or Hunter and Joe Biden, etc. And this really gets to the meaning and the definition of facts, evidence and proof.
If I tell you, I have a bank account, that’s a fact. It’s not evidence, unless I am more clear about related to what, and it’s not proof unless I tell you what I’m trying to prove. If the allegation as they have made, is that Joe Biden received money from China and potentially other actors, in exchange for making policy favorable to whoever was paying him. Just saying Biden received money from his brother, is neither evidence nor proof related to what you’re trying to prove. It may be a fact, Joe Biden, by everything I’ve seen, did get money from Jim Biden that he loaned Jim Biden, but it’s not evidence germane to this matter. And it’s certainly not proof of anything. Now, to many of you, this will come as a surprise. And what I mean is many average folks who sort of follow what’s going on, but are also busy living their lives, they might be in one of two camps. They may not even know that Republicans have been investigating Biden in this way, and making wild allegations of criminal bribery and corruption and all these things. So you may be surprised to hear that this is even going on. I envy you. I wish I didn’t know this was going on and hadn’t been following it.
On the other hand, there are some who have completely accepted, hook line and sinker, that Biden committed crimes, period, and that the Republicans have evidence, who will be surprised to hear that they still haven’t found any evidence. And when they are asked, as they were for example by Democratic Congressman Neguse, what crime do you even think might have happened? Not do you have evidence for it, just what’s the crime you’re investigating? They don’t have anything. That might be surprising to you, because that’s not the story that we have seen on many right-wing media outlets.
So the truth of the matter, where we are now, is that if you look for the evidence, if you look for the smoke for years and you don’t find it, maybe it’s because the person didn’t fire or doesn’t have a gun. And I know that this is going to be a really difficult pill to swallow for many on the right, but Joe Biden has been in public office for decades. He gets criticized for having been in public office for decades. If you’re in public office for decades, and you simply are unable to uncover the evidence about this individual, maybe it’s because they didn’t do the stuff you think they did. Maybe it’s because the evidence doesn’t exist.
And what Republicans now have to figure out is what is their escape pod? What is their eject button that gets them credibly to be able to not pursue this Biden nonsense without hurting themselves with voters in November? Who may punish them for going on this expensive wild goose chase for which there was never evidence? That’s the question that remains. Will voters punish Republicans for this? I don’t know the answer. curious to hear from you. Let me know in a comment
We need a Trump opposition akin to the Republican 2020 playbook
Elon Musk budget cuts will devastate GOP voters
Why Biden’s pardon of his son is justifiable
Media gatekeepers falling down as online news influencers rise
Trump’s win is hardly a landslide
Underreported stories from each side
Biden administration withdraws birth control rules
13 sources | 10% from the left Getty Images4 highlights from the Gaetz Ethics report
11 sources | 0% from the right ReutersLatest Stories
NORAD Santa tracker's history goes back nearly 70 years
Massachusetts Gov. Healey clarifies state’s stance on migrants
Drug lord Fabio Ochoa released, returns to Colombia after 25 years in US prison
Universal Music Group, Amazon expand global relationship
President-elect Trump wants to rename Denali Mount Mckinley
Popular Opinions
In addition to the facts, we believe it’s vital to hear perspectives from all sides of the political spectrum.
Will somebody explain what’s happening with these drones?
15 hrs ago Ben WeingartenWill Trump’s second term be any better than his first?
16 hrs ago Ruben NavarretteWe need a Trump opposition akin to the Republican 2020 playbook
Monday David PakmanTime to say goodbye to DEI
Friday Star Parker