Ex-White House press secretary Jen Psaki downplays concerns about Hunter Biden probe on NBC
Former White House press secretary Jen Psaki suggested Americans didn't care about Hunter Biden charges because of lack of local news coverage.
Former White House press secretary Jen Psaki appeared on "Meet the Press" Sunday and downplayed reports that federal agents are weighing charges against Hunter Biden.
The Washington Post reported last week that multiple federal agents said they had gathered enough evidence to charge the president's son with tax crimes and firearms crimes. But Psaki suggested the latest revelation in the Hunter Biden probe wasn't newsworthy to most Americans.
Then-White House press secretary Jen Psaki holds a press briefing at the White House on March 21, 2022. (Reuters/Leah Millis)
With less than a month until the midterm elections, anchor Kristen Welker wondered how the news would impact Democrats.
"How large is this looming over the president and Democrats broadly?" Welker asked Psaki, now an NBC News contributor and soon to be an MSNBC host.
Psaki argued that the story was only a Washington issue.
"The truth is, I looked at a bunch of local front pages this morning, and if you look at the front page in Nevada, they're talking about [former President Donald] Trump's rally there, and what it means for candidates in turning out the vote. If you look at the front pages in Pennsylvania, they're talking about [gubernatorial candidate Doug] Mastriano, does he have a grassroots campaign or movement going, and obviously Georgia is quite focused on every latest development in [Senate candidate] Herschel Walker," she began.
"So the truth is, as much as there was so much news happening in Washington this week, it doesn't always translate and often doesn't translate to what voters are talking about in states, and I think that's what we're seeing currently," Psaki said.
"ABC World News Tonight," "CBS Evening News" and "NBC Nightly News" didn’t cover the latest news about Hunter Biden, the son of President Biden. (Getty Images)
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The panel went on to argue that OPEC+ cuts and gas prices are a bigger midterms issue. Panelists on the other Sunday broadcast politics shows also agreed that the OPEC+ announcement was "bad news" and a "huge disappointment" for Democrats and the White House.
During her stint as press secretary, Psaki frequently dodged questions about Hunter Biden's controversial business dealings and what President Biden knew about them. President Biden and the White House have repeatedly stated that he had no involvement in his son's business dealings overseas.
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