Hunter Biden’s reported attendance at White House meetings with President Joe Biden is drawing harsh criticism from former President Donald Trump’s Make America Great Again (MAGA) supporters.
On Tuesday, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre confirmed that Hunter Biden was in a room with his father during recent preparation for remarks on the Supreme Court’s decision on presidential immunity.
Earlier in the day, NBC news reported that the president’s son has joined meetings with Joe Biden and his top aides since his father returned to the White House from Camp David on Monday night.
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“The president is very close to family. This is a holiday week, Fourth of July. He spent time with his family, as you all know, at Camp David. Hunter came back with him and walked with him into that meeting, that speech prep, and he ended up spending time with his dad and his family that night. That is basically what happened,” Jean-Pierre confirmed during a White House press briefing Tuesday afternoon.
She continued, “It is a week where there are going to be more family members are going to come to the White House. I’m sure you’ll see some of them on Fourth of July, many more are expected to be here.”
NBC News reported Tuesday that Hunter Biden has “popped into” a couple of meetings and phone calls that his father has had with advisers. One person familiar with the matter said the reaction from some in the White House has been, “What the hell is happening?”
When pressed again by a reporter about Hunter Biden’s participation at White House meetings with senior advisers, per NBC’s reporting, Jean-Pierre replied, “What I can say is that he came back with his dad from Camp David, he walked into the speech prep, and he was in the room. I can tell you he was in the room. Anything else coming out of that reporting, I can’t speak to,” she said.
Newsweek emailed the White House Tuesday afternoon for additional comment.
As calls mount for Joe Biden to step aside following a faltering debate performance last week, Hunter Biden is among the strongest voices encouraging him to stay in the presidential race, media outlets have reported, citing sources familiar with the situation.
The news of Hunter Biden’s presence at the White House was met with immediate rage by Trump’s MAGA supporters on social media.
“Broke: The White House and Hunter Biden have no professional connection whatsoever. Woke: The President keeps Hunter around b/c he loves him, but he has no say in official endeavors. Bespoke: Hunter is the President’s closest advisor,” conservative podcaster Saagar Enjeti posted on X, formerly Twitter.
“Karine Jean-Pierre confirms deadbeat Hunter Biden has been joining his father in high-level White House meetings recently,” RNC Research posted on X.
“WATCH: MSNBC just reported that Hunter Biden, who is a drug addict and a convicted felon, has been sitting in on Joe Biden’s meetings in the White House since the debate last week. In other words, Hunter Biden is now making decisions that impact our country. This is insane,” conservative activist Laura Loomer wrote on X.
Newsweek emailed the Trump campaign Tuesday afternoon for comment.
Hunter Biden’s reported attendance at White House meetings also drew the ire of at least one prominent liberal on social media.
“This is insane. Hunter Biden and Joe’s granddaughters (!) seem to have more influence over who the Democratic presidential nominee will be than the Democratic Party leadership. Where are Schumer or Jeffries or the DNC? What do Biden cabinet members make of his recent meltdown?” Mehdi Hasan, former MSNBC host, now editor-in-chief and CEO of media company Zeteo, posted on X.
On June 11, a Delaware jury found Hunter Biden guilty of three firearm charges. Prosecutors accused him of lying about his status as a drug user when purchasing a firearm in 2018. Issues surrounding Hunter Biden’s laptop have also been a fixture of controversy since 2020 with allegations of tampering, election interference and foreign business dealings, mainly falling along party lines.
On Sunday, Hunter Biden filed a 15-page lawsuit in Manhattan state court, accusing Fox News of creating The Trial of Hunter Biden” series “in an effort to harass, annoy, alarm, and humiliate him, and tarnish his reputation.”
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.