After two hundred and sixty-one days of ignoring Hunter Biden’s mounting scandals and corrupt business activities, the evening network newscasts finally reported on President Biden’s corrupt son. Yet despite the rediscovery, ABC’s World News Tonight decided to defend Hunter, while NBC Nightly News made the segment about former President Trump requesting Russian President Vladimir Putin to provide additional dirt on Hunter Biden, instead of the Washington Post confirming Hunter's laptop and deals with China.
During ABC’s coverage, fill-in anchor Whit Johnson seemed to try to downplay the “federal investigation" by suggesting they were just looking into some of his "tax affairs." He then revealed to viewers the existence of witnesses testifying before a grand jury investigation into Hunter Biden’s “business dealings in Ukraine and elsewhere.”
Chief justice correspondent Pierre Thomas revealed more about the grand jury investigation which has “heard from a parade of witnesses about payments Hunter Biden received while on the board of the Ukrainian gas company Burisma, and also about how he's paid his taxes in recent years.”
Thomas then hyped up an interview with Hunter Biden from October 2019 in which he defended his corrupt business dealings s just a simple mistake:
HUNTER BIDEN: Did I make a mistake? Well, maybe in the grand scheme of things, yeah. But did I make a mistake based upon some unethical lapse? Absolutely not.
Thomas subsequently reappeared on screen to provide additional details about the investigation without rebutting Hunter’s comments or providing additional context or Republican criticism.
“Federal prosecutors are also looking into how Hunter Biden reported money from business deals in China” and that the “investigation, which has been underway since 2018, appears far from over. Sources familiar with the case say no final decision has been made about whether or not to bring charges.”
While ABC defended Hunter, NBC made the story all about former President Trump. Anchor Lester Holt whined that “former President Trump is making headlines tonight after publicly calling on Russian President Vladimir Putin to release potentially damaging information about President Biden's son Hunter.”
Senior Capitol Hill correspondent Garrett Haake announced Trump is “facing bipartisan backlash” for “asking President Putin for dirt on the Bidens.”
Haake then ran around the House and Senate office buildings on Capitol Hill to ask every member of Congress he could presumably get a hold of what they thought about Trump’s comments:
REP. ADAM SCHIFF (D-CA): At least he's consistent, consistently immoral and unpatriotic. To be appealing to Putin at time Russia is killing Ukrainians once again for dirt on his opponents.
HAAKE: Some Republicans condemning the request.
SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R-SC): I don't think we should be asking Putin to do anything.
SEN. MITT ROMNEY (R-UT): He's one of the worst people on the planet and America shouldn't be asking for favors.
SEN. RON JOHNSON (R-WI): Hunter Biden knew exactly --
Not everyone took the bait. Haake whined that "others point to ongoing federal criminal investigation into possible tax fraud and money laundering by Hunter Biden who has denied wrongdoing" before airing Senator Josh Hawley's (R-MO) response: "He [Trump] can talk about whatever he wants to talk about." Hawley said, "I am interested to hear what happens with Hunter Biden, though and the federal investigation into him."
It should also be noted that neither network mentioned The Washington Post finally confirms Hunter Biden's corrupt business dealings with a multimillion-dollar Chinese energy company.
These biased news reports by ABC & NBC were made possible by Liberty Mutual on ABC, and Verizon on NBC. Their information is linked so you can let them know about the biased news they fund.
To read the transcript of each segment click "expand":
ABC’s World News Tonight
3/30/2022
6:43:07 p.m. EasternWHIT JOHNSON: Next, the federal investigation into Hunter Biden's tax affairs reportedly intensifying tonight. Sources say witnesses have been testifying before a grand jury about the President's son and his business dealings in Ukraine and elsewhere. Here's ABC's chief justice correspondent Pierre Thomas.
PIERRE THOMAS: Tonight, reports that the Justice Department's investigation into the tax affairs of President Biden's son Hunter is intensifying. Sources telling ABC News that in recent weeks, a grand jury in Wilmington has heard from a parade of witnesses about payments Hunter Biden received while on the board of the Ukrainian gas company Burisma, and also about how he's paid his taxes in recent years. Biden served on the Burisma board when his father was Vice President, something he's admitted was a mistake.
HUNTER BIDEN: Did I make a mistake? Well, maybe in the grand scheme of things, yeah. But did I make a mistake based upon some unethical lapse? Absolutely not.
THOMAS: Federal prosecutors are also looking into how Hunter Biden reported money from business deals in China. In his confirmation hearing, Attorney General Merrick Garland vowing to be independent.
MERRICK GARLAND: The President made abundantly clear in every public statement before and after my nomination that the decisions about investigations and prosecutions will be left to the Justice Department.
THOMAS: This investigation, which has been underway since 2018, appears far from over. Sources familiar with the case say no final decision has been made about whether or not to bring charges. Whit?
NBC Nightly News
3/30/2022
7:12:07 p.m. EasternLESTER HOLT: And former President Trump is making headlines tonight after publicly calling on Russian President Vladimir Putin to release potentially damaging information about President Biden's son Hunter. We get more from Garrett Haake.
[Cuts to video]
GARRETT HAAKE: Tonight, former President Trump facing bipartisan backlash to these new comments asking President Putin for dirt on the Bidens.
DONALD TRUMP: Why did the mayor of Moscow's wife give the Bidens, both of them, $3.5 million? [Transition] Now I would think Putin would know the answer to that. I think he should release it.
HAAKE: Mr. Trump referencing findings from 2020 report by Senate Republicans into Hunter Biden's business dealings in Ukraine. Lawyers for President Biden's son says there was no payment. MR. Trump’s new request echoes similar asks in 2016 about Hillary Clinton.
TRUMP: Russia, if you're listening, I hope you're able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing.
HAAKE: And 2019 phone call with Ukraine's President Zelenskyy, also asking for damaging information on the Bidens, that resulted in his first impeachment.
REP. ADAM SCHIFF (D-CA): At least he's consistent, consistently immoral and unpatriotic. To be appealing to Putin at time Russia is killing Ukrainians once again for dirt on his opponents.
HAAKE: Some Republicans condemning the request.
SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R-SC): I don't think we should be asking Putin to do anything.
SEN. MITT ROMNEY (R-UT): He's one of the worst people on the planet and America shouldn't be asking for favors.
SEN. RON JOHNSON (R-WI): Hunter Biden knew exactly --
HAAKE: While others point to ongoing federal criminal investigation into possible tax fraud and money laundering by Hunter Biden who has denied wrongdoing.
SEN. JOSH HAWLEY (R-MO): He can talk about whatever he wants to talk about. I am interested to hear what happens with Hunter Biden, though and the federal investigation into him. And I imagine we’ll be learning more about that.
[Cuts back to live]
HAAKE: Late tonight, Mr. Trump doubling down in a statement saying, “in time Russia may be willing to give that information.” Lester.
HOLT: Garrett Haake, at the Capitol. Thank you.
