As Hunter Biden showed up for his publicity stunt on Capitol Hill on Wednesday where he briefly sat in on the House Oversight Committee hearing on a vote to hold him in contempt both CNN News Central and MSNBC’s Ana Cabrera Reports claimed that the move proves that Hunter defying his subpoena is actually proof he’s willing to comply with that same subpoena.
CNN Congressional reporter Melanie Zanona recalled that, “Now, it's all fluid now, but this is the expectation that he is going to show up and it is similar to what he did when he was scheduled to appear for a closed door deposition in December.”
Closed door testimony was par for the course when Democrats were conducting the initial stages of their impeachment of Donald Trump, but neither network cared to remember that.
As it was, Zanona continued, “He has said all along that he doesn't want to appear for a closed door deposition, he only wants to testify in a public setting. He's worried about Republicans selectively leaking his testimony and instead he did a press conference in front of the Capitol, but Republicans still say that was not enough for them.”
Of course, Hunter Biden doesn’t make the rules, but Zanona claimed that his show of defiance actually proves he is willing to comply, “As I said, this is part of the Hunter Biden effort right now to show he is making every effort to comply with the subpoena to appear for a deposition. Time and time again he said he's willing to talk to Republicans, at least in a public setting.”
Over on MSNBC, former Manhattan District Attorney Catherine Christian concurred, “I think it's his way of saying ‘I will testify. I've always said I will testify. I'm not going to do it in secret. I'm going to do it in public.’ So, that to me is the statement that he is making today. He has always said he will testify. He just doesn't want to do it in secret.”
For Christian, Hunter’s spin is actually correct, “So, it’s really hard to argue that he's in contempt because he refused to testify. It's just the forum. Secret or in public for everyone to see it.”
The eponymous Cabrera also affirmed Hunter’s lawyers position, “And that’s what his attorneys have argued all along is, he’s not defying a subpoena. He's just trying to make sure whatever he says, in its full context, is before the American public to hear so that-- his fear was that the committee members, Republicans would kind of spice and dice whatever he said behind closed doors and put out partial transcripts that would misconstrue the context.”
And Hunter would try to turn a public hearing into a circus, just like he did on Wednesday.
Here is a transcript for the January 10 shows:
CNN News Central
1/10/2024
10:07 AM ET
MELANIE ZANONA: Yeah. I am standing outside the House Oversight Committee right now. They are moments away from beginning this markup to hold the-- Hunter Biden -- President Biden's son in contempt of Congress for refusing to sit for a closed door deposition, but we just got reporting from my colleague, Annie Grier, that Hunter Biden himself is expected to show up today in front of this hearing in some capacity. Now, it's all fluid now, but this is the expectation that he is going to show up and it is similar to what he did when he was scheduled to appear for a closed door deposition in December.
He has said all along that he doesn't want to appear for a closed door deposition, he only wants to testify in a public setting. He's worried about Republicans selectively leaking his testimony and instead he did a press conference in front of the Capitol, but Republicans still say that was not enough for them. They've decided to move ahead with contempt proceedings so we're expecting both Oversight and Judiciary to markup resolutions that would refer Hunter Biden to the DOJ and hold him in contempt of Congress.
That would then head to the House floor, and it sounds like Hunter Biden right now might be showing up. If we want to start walking this way, but he could be on his way right now. As I said, this is part of the Hunter Biden effort right now to show he is making every effort to comply with the subpoena to appear for a deposition. Time and time again he said he's willing to talk to Republicans, at least in a public setting. You can see right now we have this scrum of reporters -- if you can shoot the camera over there. We have this scrum of reporters. It looks like Hunter Biden is there.
***
MSNBC Ana Cabrera Reports
1/10/2024
10:08 AM ET
CATHERINE CHRISTIAN: I think it's his way of saying “I will testify. I've always said I will testify. I'm not going to do it in secret. I'm going to do it in public.” So, that to me is the statement that he is making today. He has always said he will testify. He just doesn't want to do it in secret. So, it’s really hard to argue that he's in contempt because he refused to testify. It's just the forum. Secret or in public for everyone to see it.
ANA CABRERA: And that’s what his attorneys have argued all along is, he’s not defying a subpoena. He's just trying to make sure whatever he says, in its full context, is before the American public to hear so that-- his fear was that the committee members, Republicans would kind of spice and dice whatever he said behind closed doors and put out partial transcripts that would misconstrue the context.
