On Thursday, the same day that saw further revelations in the Hunter Biden/Chinese business scandal showed active discussions to “get Joe [Biden] involved” with the shady deal, CBS News tried to downplay the exploding scandal by having comedian Stephen Colbert ask him about it for The Late Show. Of course, they lauded the President-elect for believing in his son and skipped over the FBI investigation into alleged money laundering.
“Tonight, President-Elect Biden is defending his son Hunter amid an investigation into the younger Biden's taxes,” announced CBS Evening News anchor Norah O’Donnell, sprinting past the fact federal investigators were digging into his dubious ties to Chinese businessmen.
The part she was excited for was Biden standing up for his son and proclaiming the dishonorably-discharged Hunter was “the smartest man” he knew:
PRESIDENT-ELECT JOE BIDEN: We have great confidence in our son.
JILL BIDEN: Uh-huh.
JOE BIDEN: I am not concerned about any accusations that have been made against him. It's used to get to me. I think it's kind of foul play, but, look, it is what it is. And he's a grown man. He is the smartest man I know. I mean, in pure intellectual capacity. And as long as he's good, we're good.
There was no question as to how he could be so sure of that, especially given that Biden had repeatedly claimed he had never spoken with his son about his business dealings.
But, of course, the late-night clown refused to note that fact. Instead, Colbert talked about how he admired Biden as a father and suggested that Congressional Republicans were the real problem in the situation:
STEPHEN COLBERT: As a father, I understand that, and – and – and I – I admire that. But, I mean, in terms of your job as president, you can reach across the aisle to people who will be using this as an attack on you when it is such a personal attack because it's about family?
JOE BIDEN: But if it benefits the country, yes. I really mean it.
Back in reality, aka Fox News Channel’s Special Report, senior political correspondent Mike Emanuel had emails showing how Hunter’s business partners were ready to get his father in on their plot.
“Hunter Biden's former business associates were hinting at a push to ‘get Joe involved’ in a joint venture with Chinese energy company, CEFC, hoping to make it look like a ‘truly family business.’ That, according to text messages obtained by Fox News” he reported.
As read aloud by Emanuel, Hunter’s business partner James Gilliar wrote to Tony Boblinski (another partner), “Man U are right let’s get the company set up, then tell H and family the high stakes and get Joe involved.”
And with the seemingly daily drip-drip-drip of new damaging messages appearing to implicate multiple members of the Biden family, there were growing calls for a special counsel investigation from Congressional Republicans, which CBS continued to omit.
So much for CBS’s fabricated claim that the scandal was Russian disinformation.
The transcript is below, click "expand" to read:
CBS Evening News
December 17, 2020
6:43:19 p.m. EasternNORAH O’DONNELL: Tonight, President-Elect Biden is defending his son Hunter amid an investigation into the younger Biden's taxes. The President-Elect and Dr. Jill Biden sat down with CBS's Stephen Colbert for an exclusive interview.
[Cuts to video]
PRESIDENT-ELECT JOE BIDEN: We have great confidence in our son.
JILL BIDEN: Uh-huh.
JOE BIDEN: I am not concerned about any accusations that have been made against him. It's used to get to me. I think it's kind of foul play, but, look, it is what it is. And he's a grown man. He is the smartest man I know. I mean, in pure intellectual capacity. And as long as he's good, we're good.
STEPHEN COLBERT: As a father, I understand that, and – and – and I – I admire that. But, I mean, in terms of your job as president, you can reach across the aisle to people who will be using this as an attack on you when it is such a personal attack because it's about family?
JOE BIDEN: But if it benefits the country, yes. I really mean it.
[Cuts back to live]
O’DONNELL: Well, you can see more of the interview with President-Elect Biden and Dr. Jill Biden tonight on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
