Pressure builds for NBC's Kristen Welker to address Hunter Biden at debate: 'This is a moment of truth'
By: Brian Flood (Fox News)
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Tony Bobulinski tells Fox News the Biden family 'aggressively leveraged' its name in foreign business dealings; Mike Emanuel reports from Washington.
The pressure is building for NBC News' Kristen Welker to address the ongoing scandal surrounding a laptop purportedly belonging to Hunter Biden during Thursday night's final presidential debate as the mainstream media has essentially dismissed the story.
"This is a moment of truth for Kristen Welker and NBC News, in which they are caught between doing their job or protecting Joe Biden," Cornell Law School professor and media critic William A. Jacobson told Fox News.
Pressure is building for NBC News' Kristen Welker to address the ongoing scandal surrounding a laptop purportedly belonging to Hunter Biden during Thursday night's final presidential debate. (Photo by: William B. Plowman/NBC)
The laptop, which was first reported by the New York Post, is reported to contain emails suggesting Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden had knowledge of, and was allegedly involved in, his son's foreign business dealings.
But the media has bent over backward to avoid the scandal, with Twitter and Facebook each coming under fire for censoring the Post bombshell and NPR even dismissed it as a waste of time.
The former vice president has snapped at the few reporters who dared to ask him about the scandal and CNN, ABC, NBC, CBS and MSNBC have all taken heat for their lack of coverage. But millions of voters will be tuned in Thursday as Welker moderates the final presidential debate in Nashville, giving her a chance to force the issue with Biden.
"To avoid or downplay the Biden family influence-pedaling scandal would both create additional claims of media bias and eliminate Welker as a serious journalist." — William A. Jacobson
"To avoid or downplay the Biden family influence-peddling scandal would both create additional claims of media bias and eliminate Welker as a serious journalist," Jacobson added.
DePauw University professor and media critic Jeffrey McCall agrees that Welker should ask about the Hunter Biden "elephant in the room" or she would open herself up to "criticism that she's covering" for the Democratic nominee.
"Not because of what Hunter might or might not have done, but because of what Joe Biden's role might have been, or at least his awareness of what Hunter might have been doing," McCall told Fox News. "The mainstream media have steered away from this story, but the internet is churning it and it is surely on the minds of some voters. This matter would fit surely into the category of leadership that Welker has on her topic list."
Welker is choosing to focus on fighting COVID-19, issues facing American Families, race in America, climate change, national security and leadership, the Commission on Presidential Debates said earlier in October.
NBC News did not immediately respond when asked if Welker plans to ask about the controversy surrounding Hunter Biden.
Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe confirmed this week that the laptop "is not part of some Russian disinformation campaign," despite Democrats and liberal pundits suggesting otherwise.
The story took another turn on Wednesday when documents obtained by Fox News and verified by multiple federal law enforcement officials suggested that the FBI's subpoena of the laptop and hard drive came in connection with a money laundering investigation in late 2019. Much like the initial story, the money laundering investigation was largely ignored.
In a 12-hour span following the report, the words "laundering" and "launder" were not mentioned once on CNN, MSNBC, NBC, ABC or CBS, according to a search of closed caption archives.
"It would be absolutely disgraceful if Biden isn't asked about the contents of the laptop." — Chris Barron
"It would be absolutely disgraceful if Biden isn't asked about the contents of the laptop. There are emails that implicate Joe Biden and he has -- to date -- not denied that these emails are real and accurate," conservative strategist Chris Barron told Fox News.
"President Trump was asked about QAnon. If the media thinks that's relevant then clearly the Biden emails are," Barron said, referring to last week's NBC News town hall event when Savannah Guthrie asked the president about the conspiracy theory.
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Are they really going to avoid it?
How shameless can they be?
Kristen Welker will be at her smartest not to carry conservative and Russian conspiracy theories into this news cycle and afterwards. Don't do conservative dirty work, Kristen!
Kristen, 'pull a Durham' and let this propaganda play whine pass you by too!
If that's all it is, Joe Biden can easily dismiss it. The question is will Welker come out of this regarded as a journalist or just another blatantly biased hack.
Hack! You said "hack."
Kristen's credentials allow her to question open-ended facts, not treat with equal respect propagandized whisper campaigns
What credentials? If she covers for Biden nobody will ever take her seriously.
As if you take her seriously now. Ms. Welker owes Donald Trump the topic matter determined by the debate committee:
“Fighting COVID-19,”
“American Families,”
“Race in America,”
“Climate Change,”
“National Security,” and
“Leadership.”
I hope you got that!
No special/class privileges for the #1 whiner in 'merica, Donald J.Trump.
.
Wrong again - it was her choice. She allowed it anyway!
(As far as we all know it could be Donald that is getting the "roids" he was projecting on VP Biden for all this time.)
Trump does not want 'merica to see his official tax returns to come face to face with how he makes money, and he does not want 'merica to look upon his medical records to see what "advanced" drugs he is taking for his ("version of") special case of coronavirus lingering effects.
Liar. Cheater. Thief.
They've run wild with every rumor that could be weaponized against Trump since he won the nomination in 2016, but they happily engage in a conspiracy of silence when their chosen one is threatened. There are more on the record sources verifying these emails than Trump's supposed statement calling the fallen troops losers. They had no problem running wild with that allegation, even though trump, unlike Biden, denied it's veracity.
Russia propaganda. Conservatives should just walk away from it (QNon). "I see Hunter Biden."
Nope. Not even close.
Yep! It is.
JUST AN HOUR AGO:
"Hunter Biden's ex-business partner Tony Bobulinski confirmed on Thursday that he met with former Vice President Joe Biden regarding his son's business dealings and alleged that someone involved with the controversy had warned him about coming forward.
Bobulinski went on to accuse the former vice president of lying about his involvement with his son's business dealings, and indicated that his sons sought to conceal his activities.
Specifically, Bobulinski met with the former vice president on May 2, 2017, introduced by his son, Hunter and brother,Jim.
"At my approximately hour-long meeting with Joe that night we discussed the Bidens' history, the Bidens' family business plans with the Chinese, with which he was plainly familiar, at least at a high level," Bobulinski said.
Fox News previously obtained text messages from Bobulinski , a retired lieutenant in the U.S. Navy, and the former CEO of SinoHawk Holdings, which he said was the partnership between the CEFC/ Chairman Ye and the two Biden family members.
His latest comments came just before the final presidential debate, which President Trump invited him to attend. Fox News previously reported on explosive email thread, initially released by the New York Post, which purportedly showed an equity split that would benefit "the big guy," who sources said was Joe Biden.
The email includes a note that “Hunter has some office expectations he will elaborate.” A proposed equity split references “20” for “H” and “10 held by H for the big guy?” with no further details.
"In that email, there is no question that 'H' stands for Hunter, 'big guy' for his father, Joe Biden, and Jim for Jim Biden," Bobulinski said.
"In fact, Hunter often referred to his father as the big guy or "my chairman." On numerous occasions, it was made clear to me that Joe Biden's involvement was not to be mentioned in writing but only face-to-face. In fact, I was advised by [James] Gillier and [Rob] Walker that Hunter and Jim Biden were paranoid about keeping Joe Biden's involvement secret."
Declining to take questions, Bobulinski presented three phones he said contained corroborating evidence. He added that he would be meeting with a Senate committee the following day.
The Biden campaign did not immediately respond to Fox News' request for comment. It has said that it released the former vice president’s tax documents and returns, which do not reflect any involvement with Chinese investments.
The text message chain was obtained after the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee and the Senate Finance Committee requested documents related to Bobulinski’s business affairs with the Biden family. He has provided the committees with the documents. Fox News has also, separately, obtained those documents.
The meeting on May 2, 2017, would have taken place just 11 days before the May 13, 2017, email obtained by Fox News last week, which included a discussion of “remuneration packages” for six people in a business deal with a Chinese energy firm. The email appeared to identify Biden as “Chair / Vice Chair depending on agreement with CEFC,” in an apparent reference to now-bankrupt CEFC China Energy Co.
AND THIS IS NOT GOING TO BE MENTIONED IN THE DEBATE?
How much was this guy Tony paid to come forward?
Why the hell would they mention Hunter Biden in the debate?
We're not voting for Hunter, we're voting for Joe.
President Trump has been relentlessly impugned and impeached for nonexistent crimes actually committed by Joe and Hunter Biden
PROJECTION . . . .
No, that's the truth!
"I was told this past Sunday by somebody who was also involved in this matter that if I went public, this information -- it would 'bury all of us, man,'" Bobulinski alleged.
GAME OVER MAN, GAME OVER!
LOL!
If it’s true that Joe Biden was accepting influence payments, including from Chinese entities, then he should immediately quit the presidential race.”
He wasn't so, no problem.
Any and all evidence will be ignored by the left.
Sorry, I'll go by my own eyes!
I actually don't think the debate is the proper setting for this question. Reporters should be asking Biden about this topic (and they aren't, to their shame), but the debate should be a forum for competing ideas on policy, not gotcha questions about scandals.
All that will happen if she asks the question is that Biden will deny any wrongdoing, Trump will call him a liar, and we will all tumble into the sewer together.
Traditionally at least one debate is about foreign policy, YET MS Welker refused to have it as a topic. There is obviously only one reason - to protect fuckin Joe!
I do have a big problem with that. I don't know if protecting Biden is the reason, but it certainly could be.
Foreign policy should be something debaters spend significant time on. It's one of the few areas where a president is the primary actor. So much domestic policy is wrapped up in state and local governments, Congress, or domestic bureaucracies. But foreign policy is all about the president.
So what?
So, China Joe lied to us and he may have sold out his country.
Well, in mere moments we will learn the truth of whether or not Kristen will stick to the script or fold to the Trump universe's pressure to carry Trump 'water.' Let Trump buy his own air time (he wants us to believe he has the wealth) to host Russian propaganda!
"Putin-style."
He says that he's turning it over to FBI and Johnson's committee. So to sum up, we have a former business partner of Joe and Hunter Biden saying on the record and on camera that Joe Biden has lied about his involvement in Chinese business partnerships and the media has no interest whatsoever.
Debate to begin in 18 Minutes
Get the Popcorn going!
Time for a little poll:
If China Joe wins the election, how soon before Harris takes over?
A) By Easter 2021
B) By Labor Day 2021
C) By Christmas 2021
Growth and development please. "70-something" Trump is nothing special. He puts his stinky pants on just like every other man on this planet.
trump wasn't an option, but, hey---SPECTACULAR deflection!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(D) January 20th, 2029
I’ll go with c though i would not be surprised if there are many on the left that would like it to happen sooner. Even if he hangs on longer than dec. 2021 there is no way he lasts a full term. His mind is too far gone.
which leaves the nation with harris. In the primaries she was a completely uninspiring candidate. She was the first top tier candidate to drop out. Her campaign ran out of cash because nobody cared. She won zero delegates. Her campaign was described as chaotic. That’s what we will be left with if biden wins.
Either way it would be tragic for the nation.
That’s what we will be left with if biden wins.
Depending on what else they might win.
Time to watch Welker cheat
Cheat how?
By helping Biden, of course.
Pay attention and I'll show you. I'll also grade the President and China Joe
NO need. Signing off. Toodles.
Get some rest
The audience tonight is estimated at 100,000,000.
Score question one for the President. We could have had 2 Million deaths. We started with nothing. He did well. All China Joe could do is call for mandatory masks.
Welker questioned everything the President just said, then she lets Biden say he has no plan. But Biden never laid out a plan - Did she miss that?
Biden called the President Xenophobic. Imagine? Welker says "what do you say?"
She is only questioning the President - complete with counter claims!!!
IS SHE GOING TO ASK BIDEN ANYTHING????
Chalk up another one for Trump... He turned "Russia/Russia" right back on 'em!
Welker walked right into the China Bank Account - It was closed before Trump became President.
Biden is struggling mentally. They should have given him a higher dose.
I know...I don't want to say it yet - knock on wood - Biden's losing this one
They should have given him a higher dose.
Ya, right up the ass!
Welker's gonna have to save him!
Jjjeeezzzz - look at all the responses on the FB - really, really easy to see that there isn't any point at all of trying to discuss any of the topics without the "Liberals/Dems" crawling all over your face.
Getting to be really sad and frustrating.
Glad to see you're back!
There are a lot of outraged pampered libs on social media!
“BidenCare!!!” If you get a heart transplant, the "big guy" gets a piece of it!
How is it conceivable that a moderator of a presidential debate does not understand that Congress has to approve a stimulus package?
It just hit me! Did Biden say we had a good relationship with Hitler?
And did he also say "nothing Hunter did was unethical?"
Holy Shit!
Look at Joe, literally reading the answer that was pre-printed on his notes, for a question which he clearly got in advance.
looks that way
And how do you like Welker's selection of topics?
Welker asks about climate change, a topic covered ad nauseum in previous debates. Hardly any questions on foreign policy in either debate!
Look at him when he has his head down and his eyes closed. It looks like he’s listening really hard, maybe he has a wire? Though it could just be him trying to concentrate extra hard because if his diminished mental state
Anything they could have done to help that idiot, they've done!
Bottom Line:
I say all night Trump was sharp, clear, in charge of the issues.
I may re-open this in the AM
Thanks to all of you for making it fun.