White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Wednesday that President Biden and first lady Jill Biden are “proud” of their son, Hunter, despite his disregard of a subpoena to testify before Congress and its growing legal problems.
“When it comes to the president and the first lady, they are proud that he continues to rebuild his life. They are proud of their son,” Jean-Pierre said when interviewed during the hearing. White House press briefing if Biden had watched Hunter’s press conference outside the U.S. Capitol earlier in the day, announcing his decision not to comply with the subpoena issued by House Republicans.
“The president certainly knew what his son was going to say. And I think what you saw came from the heart, from his son,” she added.
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Hunter Biden and White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre. (Getty Images)
When asked if Biden agreed with Hunter defying the subpoena, Jean-Pierre refused to “go into detail” surrounding the president’s view.
She also wouldn’t say the last time Biden and Hunter spoke, noting those were “private” conversations.
Jean-Pierre was then pressed Biden previously said that people who defied congressional subpoenas should be prosecuted, comments he made in 2021 amid an investigation into the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol, but she declined to comment.
Hunter Biden, son of President Biden, is seen after making a statement during a press conference outside the United States Capitol in Washington, DC, regarding his public testimony before the House Oversight and Accountability Committee Room Wednesday. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
“I have nothing to add to what you have, to what you just quoted to me from the president. I simply have nothing to add,” she said.
During his press conference Wednesday morning, Hunter offered to testify publicly before the House Oversight Committeebut refused to appear for his scheduled closed-door deposition for which he was subpoenaed.
He maintained that his father “was not financially involved” in the matters for which House Republicans are investigating him and said there was “no evidence because it didn’t happen.”
President Biden speaks during a press conference in the Indian Treaty Room of the White House complex in Washington, DC on Tuesday. (Yuri Gripas/Abaca/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
In his statement, Hunter blasted “MAGA” Republicans who he said “invaded” his privacy, “attacked” his family and “ridiculed my struggle with addiction.”
Hunter is also face a number of federal charges in California after being charged last week.
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The nine charges allege a “four-year scheme” when he failed to pay his federal income taxes from January 2017 to October 2020 while filing false tax returns.
Brooke Singman of Fox News contributed to this report.
