Hunter Biden‘s latest testimony is officially behind us and Republicans once again failed to find any impeachable offenses against President Joe Biden. They certainly tried to twist the narrative in their favor, however, and thoroughly embarrassed themselves in the process.
The testimony was held a day before former one-term president Donald Trump arrived at the southern border to provide a heavily-criticized speech. The border and immigration are currently high on the list of right-wing talking points, and Trump leaned into every dog whistle and false flag he could during his late February speech. That speech was blasted, in the wake of Trump’s appearance, as “disgusting” and “xenophobic,” descriptors that have followed the 77-year-old since his very first days on the campaign trail.
He’s in good company as he works to sow chaos and disunity across the nation. His fellow Republicans are thoroughly on board with Trump’s increasingly erratic antics, as unfathomable blowhard Matt Gaetz was quick to demonstrate in his exchange with President Joe Biden’s 54-year-old son.
The younger Biden has been the target of conservatives for years now and he’s finally getting the chance to address the many damaging claims they’ve lined up against him. For years now, Republicans have claimed that Joe Biden profited, both as President and Vice President, from his son’s business dealings ⏤ rumors Hunter Biden easily debunked in the Thursday House Oversight and Judiciary Committee hearing.
Each fresh point Republicans tried to toss Biden’s way was easily slapped down as he produced a laundry list of receipts to prove that “I did not involve my father in my business. Not while I was a practicing lawyer, not in my investments or transactions, domestic or international, not as a board member, and not as an artist, never.”
The right side of the aisle hammered Biden with questions about his business dealings, his relationship with his father, his finances, and everything else they could think of. Every time, he responded with credible, well thought-out explanations, even when responding to classless, pointedly malicious lines of questioning from the likes of Matt Gaetz.
Clearly aiming to discredit and embarrass the President’s son, Gaetz dove into a line of questioning regarding Hunter’s well-documented drug use. Hunter has openly admitted to his history as an addict, but Gaetz’s attempt at a “gotcha” question still rankled the seasoned attorney. Gaetz worked to jam an unnecessarily combative question into what was already a sham hearing when he asked, “Were you on drugs when you were on the Burisma board?”
Biden was quick to slap the question aside, responding with, “Mr. Gaetz, look me in the eye. You really think that’s appropriate to ask me?” Gaetz shamelessly forged ahead, noting that he does, in fact, find the question appropriate despite the blatant hypocrisy on full display.
Gaetz himself has been the subject of a House Ethics Committee investigation into illicit drug use along with sexual misconduct and public corruption. But he still gleefully attempted to dupe Biden with the question, which Hunter tackled in style, noting that he’s “been absolutely transparent” about his drug use in the past, noting that Gaetz’s question was clearly intended to embarrass him rather than actually obtain any relevant information.
The clear hypocricy and lack of class from Gaetz is by no means surprising, but it is serving to once again emphasize how little talent the GOP has within its ranks. The party is increasingly transforming into one of liars, thieves, and incompetents, and Gaetz fits in wonderfully among the right’s blundering ranks.