President-Elect Joe Biden took more softball questions Tuesday afternoon from a subservient liberal media as well as probes from the left. But when it came to a shouted Hunter Biden question from Fox News’s Peter Doocy as he left the stage, Biden insisted news stories about Hunter were Russian disinformation and mocked Doocy as “a one-horse pony.”
And to make matters worse, that came after Biden delivered an end-of-year message filled with fear and warnings, demanding Americans spend their entire lives for the next few months in constant fear over the coronavirus because “our darkest days are ahead of us.”
After taking 17 questions from five reporters, Biden wished the press corps a Merry Christmas and left the podium as Doocy shouted: “Mr. President-Elect, on Russian disinformation, do you — do you — Mr. President-Elect, do you still think that the stories from the fall about your son Hunter were Russian disinformation and a smear campaign, like you said?”
Without fear of being condemned and fact-checked by liberal journalists, Biden then replied with not only lies about the Hunter stories, but a swipe at Doocy:
Yes, yes, yes. God love you, man. You're a one-horse pony, I tell you. Thank you. Thank you. I promise you, my justice department will be totally on its own, making these judgments about how they should proceed. Thank you.
So much healing! “Lower[ing] the temperature!” “Seeing each other again!” That’s unity!
Other than lofty rhetoric meant to appease Russia-obsessed outlets like CNN and MSNBC, and pontificating from former Obama officials (but I repeat myself), there has not been a scintilla of evidence produced to suggest what Tony Bobulinski and/or the New York Post shared was Russian disinformation.
NBC’s Mike Memoli was called on first after Biden’s fear-mongering speech, asking him four weak questions (with the four being an esoteric allusion to Hunter Biden’s life of corruption (click “expand”):
Thank you, Mr. President-Elect. President Obama once referred to this emerging cyber battlefield as the Wild West. President Trump, in commenting on this most recent breach, said the situation was well under control. Given what you just said about this, that it represents a grave risk, do you believe it also represents an act of war and will you respond in kind, if so?
(....)
Why not lay out those kinds of options publicly, though? Isn't part of the issue here deterrence and the fact that Russia felt some immunity if it is, indeed, Russia, to do what they've done here?
(....)
On another issue, sir, as you know the runoff elections in Georgia could well determine whether there's a Democratic Senate in January or a Republican Senate in January. Is the — are you waiting for the outcome of those two races to make some of the final selections for your cabinet including the attorney general, the most significant outstanding cabinet secretary you have to pick?
(....)
And lastly, has the issue of the investigation of your son come up in discussions with your team and with potential candidates about the attorney general?
ABC’s Rachel Scott went second with one question about flights from the U.K. amid a new coronavirus strain and then two questions about future stimulus plans before yielding for CNN’s Jeff Zeleny to swoop in with more COVID questions.
Between Scott and Zeleny, Biden exhibited what could be described as the opposite of what one should do when they need to cough (let alone during a deadly pandemic).
In his first question, Zeleny urged Biden to tell him “what is your ask of the Congress” and then followed up by wondering if he “believe[s] that you will have a honeymoon to get things accomplished.”
Zeleny could have continued down the Hunter Biden thread that Memoli started to allude to in regards to the Justice Department, but Zeleny instead made a desperate plea for him to name an attorney general seeing as how “[e]very recent president has selected their attorney general by this point.”
Bloomberg’s Jennifer Epstein came fourth in line and lamented at the possibility Trump will have “long term” “effects...on American politics” and the GOP, “especially if he does take the step of filing for re-election next months — or running — or to run in 2024.”
“You know, are you concerned about him lingering around? I know, I see you smiling, but I still have to ask it and kind of a corollary to that, would you consider filing for re-election early next year to show that you're not going to be a lame duck,” she added.
Epstein worked in two additional questions prior to far-left MSNBC contributor and PBS correspondent Yamiche Alcindor receiving the final official questions.
Instead of conducting journalism, Alcindor decided to play the role of progressive activist. After a lead-off about the alleged Russian cyber attack on U.S. government agencies, Alcindor turned to immigration (click “expand”):
And my other question is on immigration. I was just reading about the fact that officials in your transition, Jake Sullivan, Susan Rice, they say you won't be immediately rolling back Trump immigration policies, and I stress the “immediately.” There are some immigration advocates who say why not roll back the Remain in Mexico policy, why not roll back the asylum restrictions. What is your timeline for rolling back some of the specific Trump administration immigration policies?
(....)
Would you say to immigration — what would you say to immigration advocates then who say maybe you're possibly dragging your feet too — it might take too long. It sounds like you're saying they need to be patient?
Biden’s press conference aired on CNN and MSNBC and sponsors that hour included Hyundai (on MSNBC) and Progressive (on CNN). Follow the links to the MRC’s Conservatives Fight Back page.
To see the relevant transcript from December 22, click “expand.”
Biden press conference
December 22, 2020
3:04 p.m. EasternMIKE MEMOLI: Thank you, Mr. President-Elect. President Obama once referred to this emerging cyber battlefield as the Wild West. President Trump, in commenting on this most recent breach, said the situation was well under control. Given what you just said about this, that it represents a grave risk, do you believe it also represents an act of war and will you respond in kind, if so?
(....)
3:06 p.m. Eastern
MEMOLI: Why not lay out those kinds of options publicly, though? Isn't part of the issue here deterrence and the fact that Russia felt some immunity if it is, indeed, Russia, to do what they've done here?
(....)
3:06 p.m. Eastern
MEMOLI: On another issue, sir, as you know the runoff elections in Georgia could well determine whether there's a Democratic Senate in January or a Republican Senate in January. Is the — are you waiting for the outcome of those two races to make some of the final selections for your cabinet including the attorney general, the most significant outstanding cabinet secretary you have to pick?
(....)
3:07 p.m. Eastern
MEMOLI: And lastly, has the issue of the investigation of your son come up in discussions with your team and with potential candidates about —
JOE BIDEN: No.
MEMOLI: — the attorney general?
(....)
3:07 p.m. Eastern
RACHEL SCOTT: Thank you, Mr. President-Elect. There is growing concern today about that new variant of COVID-19 sweeping across the UK. Should the United States right now impose a travel ban on flights coming in from the UK?
(....)
3:08 p.m. Eastern
SCOTT: You talked about how you want to propose a new COVID relief plan when you do take office.
BIDEN: Yes.
SCOTT: It took more than six months for Congress to reach that new deal. Americans are suffering at this moment. How can you assure Americans that relief will come and come soon?
(....)
3:10 p.m. Eastern
SCOTT: Will your plan include a new round of stimulus checks to the American people? And if so —
BIDEN: Yes.
SCOTT: — for how much?
(....)
3:12 p.m. Eastern
JEFF ZELENY: Mr. President-Elect, thank you.
BIDEN: Thank you.
ZELENY: I'm still not sure if I heard you say specifically, though, sir, what is your ask of the Congress in just one month's time, what is your ask of the Congress after you have watched over these many months when people in your party as well did not necessarily act as quickly as some Americans would have liked. What is your ask, sir?
(....)
3:14 p.m. Eastern
ZELENY: Given the narrow majorities in the House and Senate, you've watched many administrations come and go, do you believe that you will have a honeymoon to get things accomplished?
(....)
3:15 p.m. Eastern
ZELENY: Sir, if I can ask a follow-up to the attorney general decision. You and President Obama selected Eric Holder on December 1st. Every recent president has selected their attorney general by this point. What is taking you so long to make this critical decision, and do you believe that this is a time in the post-Trump era where you need someone who is not steeped in politics, who may have a life's work above or beyond politics?
BIDEN: The answer is, first of all, we've gone fast on everybody in the total cabinet. So we —
ZELENY: Not president Obama and yourself, sir.
BIDEN: The whole cabinet?
ZELENY: The whole cabinet.
BIDEN: Whole cabinet?
ZELENY: There were a few missteps on commerce, as you remember, but --
BIDEN: I do.
ZELENY: I'm sure.
BIDEN: I didn't want to raise them, though.
ZELENY: Of course.
(....)
3:17 p.m. Eastern
JENNIFER EPSTEIN: You just spoke about your confidence that it will be possible to get things done once President Trump has left office.
BIDEN: Not — excuse me, not just because he's left office, because it's all becoming obvious exactly what's at stake.
EPSTEIN: Right. But — but even so, are you concerned about the effects, long term, that his presidency and now in the transition, his refusal to concede, his challenges to the election, will have on American politics, will have on the Republican Party, especially if he does take the step of filing for re-election next months — or running — or to run in 2024. You know, are you concerned about him lingering around? I know, I see you smiling, but I still have to ask it and kind of a corollary to that, would you consider filing for re-election early next year to show that you're not going to be a lame duck?
(....)
3:18 p.m. Eastern
EPSTEIN: Still, do you think that the climate will be different after President Trump than it was before him?
BIDEN: We'll see. I don't know. I mean, I'm not a fortuneteller, but I can tell you that the calls I've gotten from sitting Republicans in powerful positions, they know me. They know I level with them. They know I never mislead. They know I tell them the truth and they know I don't go out of my way to try to embarrass.
EPSTEIN: And in terms of the transition, are there areas where the Trump team has not been cooperative that have not been made public? We've heard a bit about the issues at the Pentagon last week. Are there other areas that you think the public should be aware of?
(....)
3:20 p.m. Eastern
YAMICHE ALCINDOR: Thank you, Mr. President-Elect. Russia, as you said, is suspected of carrying out this massive cyber hack. You said it happened under president Donald Trump's watch, but, of course, in January ‘21, it will then, of course, land on your doorstep. My question is what are the practical —
BIDEN: All right. Let's get something straight, land on my doorstep, his failure will land on my doorstep.
ALCINDOR: — yes.
BIDEN: Okay.
ALCINDOR: What are the practical implications of overseeing a government where experts say it could take years to know where the hackers went and years to remove them. How can you ensure the systems will be safe given what experts are saying?
(....)
3:21 p.m. Eastern
ALCINDOR: Just to bear at the top of that, did you say you couldn't ensure that the systems would be safe when you came into office then?
(....)
3:22 p.m. Eastern
ALCINDOR: And my other question is on immigration.
BIDEN: Yes.
ALCINDOR: I was just reading about the fact that officials in your transition, Jake Sullivan, Susan Rice, they say you won't be immediately rolling back Trump immigration policies, and I stress the “immediately.” There are some immigration advocates who say why not roll back the Remain in Mexico policy, why not roll back the asylum restrictions. What is your timeline for rolling back some of the specific Trump administration immigration policies?
(....)
3:23 p.m. Eastern
ALCINDOR: Would you say to immigration — what would you say to immigration advocates then who say maybe you're possibly dragging your feet too — it might take too long. It sounds like you're saying they need to be patient?
(....)
3:24 p.m. Eastern
PETER DOOCY: Mr. President-Elect, on Russian disinformation, do you — do you — Mr. President-Elect, do you still think that the stories from the fall about your son Hunter were Russian disinformation and a smear campaign, like you said?
BIDEN: Yes, yes, yes. God love you, man. You're a one-horse pony, I tell you. Thank you. Thank you. I promise you, my justice department will be totally on its own, making these judgments about how they should proceed. Thank you.
