Journalists have shown astonishingly little interest in the ethical mine field that is Hunter Biden’s upcoming art sale, paintings that could go for hundreds of thousands of dollars. The art was supposed to be an anonymous sale, but now it turns out the President’s son will meet with potential buyers.
So how does Hunter Biden feel about this? He has total contempt for those that would dare challenge him. Appearing on Nota Bene: This Week in the Art World podcast on Friday, the younger Biden lashed out at critics, which now include members of the Obama administration. Asked by one of the hosts for his response to “people who are coming after the prices of the work,” Hunter replied, “Fuck ‘em.” Here's more:
Other than fuck em?... Yeah, look, man. I said set my prices, what it was going to cost or how much it was going to be priced at. I’d be amazed if my art sold for $10. Because the first time you ever go about it, the idea that someone is attracted to your art, let alone that they would pay something for it — you guys know this a 1000 times better than I will ever know it. But I do know enough. The value of an artist’s work is not necessarily determined by the price. But the price is completely subjective and sometimes has nothing to do with anything other than the moment.
Hear that, ABC and CBS? Hunter Biden has contempt for anyone who would seriously cover this issue. Those networks haven’t tried. NBC Nightly News host Lester Holt, to his credit, on July 12, exposed: “Now to an NBC News investigation into the secret sale of art by President Biden's son Hunter. The asking price? Up to half a million dollars per painting. But ethics watchdogs are blasting the arrangement.”
Walter Shaub, director of Government Ethics under President Obama, told NBC’s Stephanie Gosk: “I think the right thing to do would have been for White House ethics officials to try to talk the President into begging his son not to go through with this sale.”
He added, “The children of presidents have the absolute right to pursue a career. But as citizens of this country, they really have a moral and ethical duty not to trade on their parents' public service.”
Presumably, Obama-era critics like Shaub are some of the people that Biden is telling to “fuck” off.
Shaub also tweeted:
Given how corrupt this deal sounds, and how serious it is, journalists have a responsibility to cover it.
A transcript of the podcast exchange can be found below:
Nota Bene: This Week in the Art World podcast
7/30/2021
18 minutes inNATE FREEMAN: You seem to have good spirits about, you know, this kind of crazed narrative around your painting. How — What’s your response to people who are coming after the prices of the work or just the collectors? I mean, what’s been your response to that?
HUNTER BIDEN: Other than fuck em?... Yeah, look, man. I said set my prices, my art what it was going to cost or how much it was going to be priced at. I’d be amazed, you know, if my art sold for $10. Because the first time you ever go about it, the idea that someone is attracted to your art, let alone that they would pay something for it — you guys know this a 1000 times better than I will ever know it. But I do know enough. The value of an artist’s work is not necessarily determined by the price. But the price is completely subjective and sometimes has nothing to do with anything other than the moment.
