Over the weekend, Politico reported the existence of a 2022 letter from Hunter Biden's lawyers were "ready to put President Biden on the stand" as a "fact witness" for the defense of his son Hunter. This would, as Fox News Channel's Special Report anchor Bret Baier noted would have put President Biden "in a very tough position." Despite the news of this near-legal drama of the sitting President being forced to testify falsely that his son did nothing wrong, the "big three" evening news broadcasts ignored this report despite it being reported in Politico as well as on the front page of the New York Times.
Instead, ABC's World News Tonight, CBS Evening News, and NBC Nightly News thought a car crash in Manhattan (ABC), a recall of Trader Joe's crackers (CBS), and the discovery of flesh-eating bacteria in Florida (NBC) were all more important for viewers to learn about.
Meanwhile, Fox News Channel's Special Report had the story for viewers. "We have another Hunter Biden revelation in the Hunter Biden scandal tonight. A newly unearthed letter reveals the legal team for the President's son at one point threatened to put the elder Biden, then President, in a very tough position," Baier teased at the top of the segment.
From there, congressional correspondent Aishah Hasnie took over and informed Americans watching at home that "A 2022 letter written by Hunter Biden's lawyers is revealing they were ready to put President Biden on the stand. Politico reports Hunter’s attorney Chris Clark warned Justice Department prosecutors President Biden now unquestionably would be a fact witness for the defense in any criminal trial. What followed was a wide-ranging plea deal shielding Hunter from any future charges."
Hasnie also reported on revelations about the Biden-appointed special counsel David Weiss which included "his previous work and past working relationship with the President's late son Beau," which as Hasnie reported, "is sowing deeper doubts amongst Republicans that he can be trusted."
This bias by omission was made possible thanks to the endorsements of WeatherTech on ABC, Fisher Investments on CBS, and Progressive on NBC. Their information is linked.
The transcript is below:
FNC’s Special Report
8/21/2023
6:34:18 p.m. EasternBRET BAIER: We have another Hunter Biden revelation in the Hunter Biden scandal tonight. A newly unearthed letter reveals the legal team for the President's son at one point threatened to put the elder Biden, then President, in a very tough position. Congressional correspondent Aishah Hasnie has details tonight from capitol hill.
AISHAH HASNIE: A 2022 letter written by Hunter Biden's lawyers is revealing they were ready to put President Biden on the stand. Politico reports Hunter’s attorney Chris Clark warned Justice Department prosecutors President Biden now unquestionably would be a fact witness for the defense in any criminal trial. What followed was a wide-ranging plea deal shielding Hunter from any future charges.
ANDY MCCARTHY: You have these big bad Justice Department prosecutors who aren't supposed to be afraid of anything but they’re scared to death to charge him because they don't want to charge Joe Biden's son. This is exactly what access to Joe Biden is. This is why people were willing to pay millions of dollars to get it. That's what the scheme was.
HASNIE: But what Republicans call a sweetheart deal fell apart after two IRS whistleblowers came forward accusing the Justice Department of mishandling the investigation. Now Washington waits to see what special counsel David Weiss does next. But his previous work and past working relationship with the President's late son Beau is sowing deeper doubts amongst Republicans that he can be trusted. Oversight Chairman James Comer pushing forward with his committee's probes into Hunter and Joe Biden and the alleged influence peddling scheme.
REP. JAMES COMER: So the Biden attorneys know exactly where we’re headed with this investigation. They have lawyered up. I mean, they are building Fort Knox around these bank accounts that we're going to subpoena next.
HASNIE: And Fox did reach out to the White House and Hunter Biden's legal team for a comment about Chris Clark's letter to the DOJ. We did not hear back. Bret?
