New York Times correspondent and author Michael Bender joined Friday’s CNN This Morning to react to Hunter Biden’s latest indictment on tax evasion where he proceeded to memory holed the IRS whistleblowers who alleged he received preferential treatment in order to proclaim that in “a normal world” these latest charges would debunk the idea that the Justice Department has been weaponized.
Host Poppy Harlow began with more of a statement or observation than a question, “Michael, this is a complete collision course between, you know, the political system and the legal system. What's fascinating is for both the president's son and for the former president, all at the same time.”
Bender concurred, but on the political ramifications, he accused Republicans of living in some sort of fantasy land, “normally the American people are less likely to penalize a candidate for his family's charges, and you would think, in, maybe, a normal world, all these charges against Hunter Biden might take some steam out of the Republican argument that Joe Biden has weaponized the Justice Department against his -- against his political enemies but, you know, the keyword there, in a normal time.”
Naturally, Bender forgot to mention not only the whistleblowers, but legal analyst Elie Honig’s earlier allusion to the plea deal, that only involved misdemeanors, fell apart because, for him, the real story is Donald Trump, “You've got to keep in mind that weaponizing the justice system isn't just an accusation right now from President Trump, it's also a campaign promise for a second term.”
Political analyst Natasha Alford also hoped that voters just forget about the whistleblowers, “Yeah, and just to jump in, you know, this question of, does the president's son receive preferential treatment? The majority of Americans back in June said yes. But again, it fell along partisan lines. So, this can disrupt narratives but at the same time, I think to your point, most people are not going to hold Joe Biden accountable for this.”
Polling data may have been split along partisan lines, but the whistleblowers were not.
Here is a transcript for the December 8 show:
CNN This Morning
12/8/2023
6:07 AM ET
POPPY HARLOW: Michael, this is a complete collision course between, you know, the political system and the legal system. What's fascinating is for both the president's son and for the former president, all at the same time.
MICHAEL BENDER: Yeah, I can't recall a time where the legal and political systems have been on this kind of crash course. I think politically, normally the American people are less likely to penalize a candidate for his family's charges, and you would think, in, maybe, a normal world, all these charges against Hunter Biden might take some steam out of the Republican argument that Joe Biden has weaponized the Justice Department against his -- against his political enemies but, you know, the keyword there, in a normal time. You've got to keep in mind that weaponizing the justice system isn't just an accusation right now from President Trump, it's also a campaign promise for a second term.
NATASHA ALFORD: Yeah, and just to jump in, you know, this question of, does the president's son receive preferential treatment? The majority of Americans back in June said yes. But again, it fell along partisan lines. So, this can disrupt narratives but at the same time, I think to your point, most people are not going to hold Joe Biden accountable for this.
