The New York Times stealth-edited the misquote following backlash on social media
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The New York Times is facing backlash as critics accuse the paper of altering a key quote from Hunter Biden's stunning presser while defying a congressional subpoena on Wednesday.
Biden, the scandal-plagued son of President Biden, offered a statement to reporters outside Capitol Hill publicly challenging "MAGA Republicans" over their demand for him to testify behind closed doors instead of an open hearing all while asserting his father was not "financially involved" in his business dealings.
"Let me state as clearly as I can: My father was not financially involved in my business — not as a practicing lawyer, not as a board member of Burisma, not in my partnership with a Chinese private businessman, not in my investments at home nor abroad and certainly not as an artist," the 53-year-old Biden said Wednesday morning.
Hunter Biden, the son of President Biden, is seen after making a statement during a news conference outside the U.S. Capitol about testifying publicly to the House Oversight and Accountability Committee on Wednesday. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
However, in the Times' initial report on Biden's comments published at 9:46 a.m. ET, the paper omitted the word "financially" from the quote.
"'I am here,' Mr. Biden said. ‘Let me state as clearly as I can: My father was not involved in my business,’" wrote Times reporter Luke Broadwater.
That specific quote from Hunter Biden caught the most attention among critics highlighting Team Biden's evolving narrative. During the 2020 election cycle, then-candidate Joe Biden repeatedly insisted he never spoke with his son about his foreign business dealings.
Critics railed against the Times' omission on social media.
"This is so bad," political commentator Hans Mahncke reacted. "@nytimes doctored what Hunter said today, leaving out the key word. Wow."
"The New York Times, without explanation, altered Hunter Biden's exact quote," Versus Media Podcast host Stephen L. Miller wrote.
"Great catch here. And lest anyone think it wasn't intentional to leave out ‘financially,'" Fox News contributor Joe Concha said.
Great catch here. And lest anyone think it wasn't intentional to leave out "financially." https://t.co/bpXWPTiPts
— Joe Concha (@JoeConchaTV) December 13, 2023
The New York Times initially scrubbed a key word from Hunter Biden's quote denying his father was "financially involved" in his business dealings. (Screenshot/NYTimes.com Archive)
The Times' report was later "updated" at 12:11 p.m. ET with added content to the article, including the correct quote, but without an editor's note or correction.
The paragraph now reads: "'I am here,' Mr. Biden said. ‘Let me state as clearly as I can: My father was not financially involved in my business — not as a practicing lawyer, not as a board member of Burisma, not my partnership with a Chinese private businessman, not in my investments at home nor abroad and certainly not as an artist.’"
The Times did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
Wednesday's presser came before the House of Representatives formally launched an impeachment inquiry against President Biden into alleged involvement in the profiting of his son and other members of his family. House Republicans are also threatening to hold Hunter Biden in contempt for defying a subpoena.
House Republicans launched an impeachment inquiry into President Biden and whether he profited from his son Hunter's foreign business dealings. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
This wasn't the first time The New York Times was caught stealth-editing a report involving Hunter Biden. In September 2021, the Times initially described the New York Post's bombshell reporting on the infamous laptop in the run-up to the 2020 election as "unsubstantiated."
"The Federal Election Commission has dismissed Republican accusations that Twitter violated election laws in October by blocking people from posting links to an unsubstantiated New York Post article about Joseph R. Biden Jr.’s son Hunter Biden, in a decision that is likely to set a precedent for future cases involving social media sites and federal campaigns," Times political reporter Shane Goldmacher initially reported.
Following backlash on social media, the Times quietly scrubbed the word "unsubstantiated" from its report.
A Times spokesperson told Fox News Digital at the time: "We regularly edit web stories — especially breaking news stories — to refine the story, add new information, additional context or analysis. This story was completely revised to incorporate the news regarding Snapchat."
When asked if the Times regretted calling the Hunter Biden laptop reporting "unsubstantiated," the spokesperson did not comment.
Joseph A. Wulfsohn is a media reporter for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to
