A bombshell Biden story — and the media dutifully ignore it
By: Joe Concha, Opinion Contributor (The Hill)
Biden is so irrelevant that he can't even get his own controversy. The press simply ignores Biden; Biden just ain't newsworthy.
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Unlike many "bombshells" during the Trump administration, the latest potential bombshell story out of Washington, which may involve President Biden, was based not on "sources close to the White House" or "an unnamed administration official" but, rather, on receipts.
Bank record receipts, to be precise.
Here's what House Republicans uncovered recently, according to House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.):
"Over the course of several years, members of the Biden family and their companies received over $1.3 million in payments from accounts related to their associate, Rob Walker," the March 16 statement reads. "Most of this money came as a result of a wire from a Chinese energy company and went not only to Hunter and James Biden, but also to Hallie Biden and an unknown 'Biden.' It is unclear what services were provided to obtain this exorbitant amount of money."
To unpack this, Hunter Biden, the president's son, is already under federal investigation over his financial dealings. But this is a fresh and potentially scandalous story.
What services did Hunter Biden provide to a Chinese energy company that warranted him getting paid more than $500,000 between March and May 2017? What services did the president's brother, James Biden, provide to warrant $360,000 between March and May 2017?
Most eyebrow-raising of all, what services did Hallie Biden, the president's daughter-in-law, a private-school guidance counselor, provide that warranted her earning $25,000 during that period?
And finally, there was a payment of $80,000 to what bank records show only as an "unknown Biden." Hunter Biden's former business associate Tony Bobulinski has gone on record alleging that 10 percent of profits in the past went to "the big guy." Bobulinski also has alleged that Joe Biden was that guy, although he has not been connected by Rep. Comer to the newly discovered payments.
When finally asked about the payments, President Biden said they never happened. Reporters asked no follow-up questions and did not point out that House Republicans say they have bank records that seem to suggest a different story. And when White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre was asked about the Biden family's alleged Chinese payments, she refused to answer, implying to a White House reporter that the accusations are a lie.
So, is there a potential story here, perhaps even a huge one? Let's just say that if this story were about the Trump family instead of the Biden family, nearly every reporter in Washington would be chasing it — considering the paper trails, the Chinese source of millions of dollars in fees paid and the ambiguity of services provided.
But that's not happening.
The Biden bank records story broke on Thursday, March 16. One would think it would have warranted a segment or two on the Sunday morning political talk shows. The lead story was, of course, the potential indictment of former President Trump. But these programs each run one hour; both stories could have been covered.
A review of ABC's "This Week," CBS's "Face the Nation," NBC's "Meet the Press" and CNN's "State of the Union" found that those shows dedicated more than 46 minutes to the potential Trump indictment. Contrast that with the Biden bank records story, which received no coverage on those shows — a complete blackout.
That's what media observers call the bias of omission — when news organizations ignore a newsworthy story.
The Biden-China story matters for several reasons, not least because China is increasingly viewed by both Republicans and Democrats as America's number one adversary. Our approach to China has never been more important — whether on national security, human rights, trade, the economy or technology. And on some of these issues, President Biden hasn't seemed as tough as he needs to be — most recently, appearing on a TikTok video at a time when the social media company is under investigation for its reported ties to the Chinese Communist Party.
Perhaps only after the release of more evidence, which Rep. Comer insists is coming, will most major media organizations give the Biden-China bank record story even some of the attention it deserves.
But based on what we've seen over the past two years, or even just the past two weeks, don't hold your breath.
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The Biden Presidency has become nothing more than filler material -- a 'man bites dog' story. When a Biden controversy isn't newsworthy then it's difficult to believe that Biden is an important public figure. Obviously the press views Biden as inconsequential.
The Hunter Biden story is getting no coverage because it is a nothingberder. There is truly nothing to see here.
The press agrees that Biden is too inconsequential to waste their time.
If it is such a "nothingberder"; then why are you bothering to comment?
No, only Faux 'news' would report on such a nothingberder and/or whoever the source is for this 'article'
Yeah, the 'real' press views Biden as a 'nothingberder'. Biden just ain't newsworthy.
Who are you saying is the real 'press' Fox?
You have Hunter Biden Derangement Syndrome.
I voted for Joe, not Hunter.
Then you voted for one of the most corrupt (and incompetent) politicians on the planet.
Don't worry; Brandon will never replace Trump in the headlines.
You're confused, that would be #45, the former 'president' re: most corrupt and incompetent and impotent and a complete fucking moron.
So, you're one of the 36% that approve of Biden's job performance? Who knew winning could be so lonely.
When finally asked about the payments, President Biden said they never happened. Reporters asked no follow-up questions and did not point out that House Republicans say they have bank records that seem to suggest a different story. And when White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre was asked about the Biden family's alleged Chinese payments, she refused to answer, implying to a White House reporter that the accusations are a lie.
This perfectly encapsulates Joe Biden and the lapdog media.
If the Republican House committees (Jordan and Comer) had actual evidence of Biden wrongdoing, as opposed to the speculative rumor mongering they are doing now, they would be having a press conference at this minute laying this evidence out.
There is hilarity involved in the concept pushed by right wingers , that there is no evidence of trump wrong doing related to the 2020 election or Jan 6th (where there is thousands of hours of testimony and a half dozen televised hearings on the matter) but somehow we KNOW Biden and his family are crooks without a single piece of actual evidence having been presented by the Republican congressional committees investigating this.
Does it strike you as odd a Chinese Energy Company gave the Biden family money while Biden was in office?
There are WAY more than enough conservative media to get to the truth of this, if there is any. Complaining that the NY Times or Washington Post arent covering it is nothing but sour grapes.
It reminds me of the right wing claim that Biden tried to get a Ukrainian prosecutor fired to protect his corrupt son. The mainstream media did look into that allegation and found it to be baseless, but all these years later the right still repeats it as if it were true.
Why should the mainstream media feed conspiracy theories?
If the Bidens are guilty of something Fox News or the Wall St. Journal can find it.
How is this a conspiracy theory? The payments aren't in dispute, despite Biden's lies.
Bidens are guilty of something Fox News or the Wall St. Journal can find it.
I'm glad we can agree that the other media outlets are just PR outlets for the Democratic Party, and have no interest in doing any work that might hurt the cause.
Right wing gossip is well known for producing misinformation and conspiracy theories.
Fine, lets see someone lay out the criminal aspects. We have two congressional committees dedicated to the matter and they have done nothing but flap their lips so far.
The left wing simply ignores any criticisms of Biden. And bad news, apparently.
You and I both know quite well if Fox finds ANYTHING, the leftists here will screech their fool heads off about the source and keep on ignoring facts. We've seen it far too many times here.
Can you even IMAGINE the amount of liberal outrage had it been reported that any members of the Trump family had received millions in payments for doing nothing from Russia or China.
My God, it would be first and foremost in liberal minds for decades!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ahem. Didn't Clinton light that smudge pot? And the smoke still hasn't cleared.
Biden can't even get his own controversy from rumor and innuendo. Drag Queen story hours get more press coverage than Biden. Biden is so unimportant, the press can't be bothered.
Biden simply doesn't matter.
So you have Bill/Hillary/Clinton Derangement Syndrome also plus the PD&D that goes along with that! It's clinical, this sickness.
Much of the media is nothing but a shill for the Democratic Party and will continue to shield Biden as long as they can.
Even they will come clean when forced to by facts--just like they FINALLY admitted that the Hunter Biden laptop story was real and factual after denying it for over a year.
Ditto with Trump. But...................
The Jan 6th committee presented hundreds of pages of testimony and evidence of trumps wrongdoing.
Show us what the Jordan and Comer committees have. Dont shuck and jive, show us what they have.
The Biden investigation is in its infancy. People complaining that it hasn't turned up anything yet are silly loons. Of course they simply ignore the money paid to the Bidens for nothing. They think NOTHING of the fact that the Jan. 6 events have resulted in nothing against Trump after 2 plus years of one of the most intense investigations ever conducted..
That makes them hypocrites of the first order.
I believe it's thousands of pages, not hundreds. And still no indictment...
The Special Prosecutor needs to look at all of the documentation (unless they are a partisan TDS driven moron); not just what Pelosi's hand picked shill Jan 6th committee chooses to release.
That could take quite a while if Democrats and the records keepers try to block him the way they did Republicans.
They have nothing John, as usual.
Seems you don't understand how the system works.
The House can investigate; but they cannot prosecute anyone. That takes the AG/DOJ. Think Garland and the DOJ are going to do anything no matter what evidence is presented? Garland still hasn't assigned a Special Prosecutor to the Hunter Biden case- despite a direct conflict of interest. The DOJ/FBI are also slow walking that case into oblivion (And leftists bitched about how slow John Durham was).
BINGO! If they had anything to report we would have heard it by now.
Another nothingberder in furtherance of Hunter Biden Derangement Syndrome and the PD&D that goes with it.
Unsurprising that much of the media simply ignores some news that may even be potentially troubling for the President.
Must protect liberals at all costs--even at the expense of their integrity.
Their "integrity"?
I know, I know, I really stretched on that one!
One thing no liberal has done here is put forth even a theory as to why some Chinese energy company would be paying any of the Bidens for anything, but the bank records prove that the Bidens received money.
When did any of the Bidens become energy experts?
Don't you remember? It was when they did the thing with "aolijuoidjupfasudf".
LOL!
I am waiting to find out who the other "Biden" is that received payments.
And to think leftists were poutraged that Trump had deals in Russian before he ran for office!
It wouldn't surprise me to see Beau's name on it.
That's where TDS is taken into consideration. The hypocrisy of it all I think would put them at level 3 (you noted in 8.1.1)
Well, we are buying more Chinese solar panels and wind turbines, aren't we? The Chinese payola was obviously intended to fix climate change. Now is the time to expand Chinese imports to include heat pumps, appliances, and EVs.
Hasn't Biden gifted the energy independence of the United States to China?
The "Trump Indictment" is nothing more than another failed "smoking gun" the left was betting on and lost. But it served as the distraction from the Biden corruption being exposed. And naturally the Democrat Propaganda Media won't cover it.
Trump Derangement Syndrome: What is it -- and do you have it? | CNN Politics
Interesting!
From your link:
I think that is an apt description, especially in light of the posts we have seen here for the last 7 years.
Also this:
This part really nails it. Fits a few people we know to a "T", doesn't it?
A few is an understatement.
"... those shows dedicated more than 46 minutes to the potential Trump indictment.'
Sounds ominous but that averages out to 11.5 minutes per show. How many minutes did FOX and its copycats spend on Trump's troubles? Alas newsbusters had but one target in mind:
"The time breakdown that each show spent on the Trump news was no less stunning with This Week , Face the Nation , Meet the Press , and State of the Union dedicating 13 minutes 14 seconds , 7 minutes , 6 minutes 10 seconds , and 22 minutes 22 seconds respectively."
And STILL zero--nada, nothing, zip--time to Biden family payments from China.