Jean-Pierre said the impeachment inquiry against President Biden was 'a waste of time'
Karine Jean-Pierre blows up when pressed on Biden connection to Hunter's business dealings
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre blew up when pressed by a reporter on President Biden "lying" about past interactions with his son Hunter's business associates, declaring there was "no evidence" the president did anything wrong.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre blew up Thursday when pressed by a reporter on President Biden "lying" about past interactions with his son Hunter's business associates, declaring there was "no evidence" the president did anything wrong.
Jean-Pierre also lashed out at House Republicans over the vote to approve an official impeachment inquiry against Biden, accusing them of "wasting their time," but the interaction began with New York Post reporter Steven Nelson asking why Biden interacted with so many of his family's business associates, which contributed to the inquiry's launch.
"What we're seeing from House Republicans is wasted time. And it is certainly, you know, a baseless political slant. That's what we're seeing. And they're leaving. House Republicans are leaving this week to go, you know, enjoy a nice holiday. Right? As most Americans should. But what happened to the funding to Ukraine?" Jean-Pierre responded.
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre speaks during the daily briefing in the Brady Briefing Room of the White House in Washington, DC, on December 14, 2023. (BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images)
She listed a number of other policy topics, including the border and potential government shutdown next year, and claimed Republicans had not done anything to help Democrats address those problems.
"There's been zero evidence, zero evidence. You can ask me about engagement and what the president has done with his family in conversation. But there's no evidence," Jean-Pierre said.
Nelson attempted to push back, but Jean-Pierre stopped him.
"Wait, wait. But there's no evidence. There is no evidence that the president has done wrongdoing. There's none. Absolutely none. None. And that is just a fact. You've heard it from Republicans themselves. So they're wasting their time. Instead of doing the work on behalf of the American people, they go after the president's family. But that's a waste of time," she said.
WATCH: WHITE HOUSE SAYS BIDEN ‘PROUD’ OF HUNTER DESPITE MOUNTING LEGAL ISSUES, SUBPOENA DEFIANCE
President Joe Biden arrives for a meeting of his National Infrastructure Advisory Council in the Indian Treaty Room of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on December 13, 2023 in Washington, DC. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Nelson noted that there was an easy counter to her claim, that there was evidence to show Biden had interacted with those associates, and that he was "lying" about it.
"The president is not lying about anything as it relates to what House Republicans are trying to do. It is baseless. It is a political stunt. And it has not proven that the president has done anything wrong, anything wrong. And so they are wasting their time. They are wasting the American people's time," Jean-Pierre responded.
"What they should be doing is the things that I just listed. They're going to go home, but they haven't taken care of what — We need to make sure that we are helping Ukraine. There's going to be potentially a shutdown next month. They have done nothing, nothing to avert that shutdown," she said before moving on to another reporter.
SUPPORT FOR BIDEN IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY GROWS WITH A NOTABLE LEVEL OF DEMOCRAT BACKING: POLL
Hunter Biden, son of President Joe Biden, talks to reporters at the U.S. Capitol, in Washington, Wednesday, Dec. 13, 2023. Hunter Biden lashed out at Republican investigators who have been digging into his business dealings, insisting outside the Capitol he will only testify before a congressional committee in public. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
Last week, Biden was pressed during a press conference about why he interacted with "so many" of his son and brother's foreign business associates, but he denied having any such interactions, despite evidence to the contrary.
"I'm not going to comment. I did not, and it's just a bunch of lies," Biden responded. "They're lies. I did not. They're lies."
One of Hunter's former business associates reacted to President Biden's comments by telling Fox News Digital that his claim was "complete malarkey" and said there is "plenty of evidence" to refute his denial.
Brandon Gillespie is an associate editor at Fox News. Follow him on X at @BGillespieAL.
