Hunter Biden went to the Capitol for his closed-door deposition with the House Oversight and Judiciary Committees. This is his makeup day for the depo he blew off in order to deliver a tirade from behind a podium before stomping off the Capitol grounds. The network newscasts fell in formation today, focused on protecting the Bidens and disqualifying the proceedings.
Coverage was nearly identical across the Big Three, touching on some of the same thematic points: a quote from Hunter’s statement denouncing the investigation and calling for it to end, a brief summation of what the investigation is about, and some version of the Smirnov Hoax, to wit: that the controversial FBI FD-1023 (record of confidential informant meeting with agent) with its allegedly false statements contained therein is the entirety of the evidence upon which the impeachment inquiry hinges.
Of the three, ABC’s coverage was the most extensive and most partisan. Here’s correspondent Rachel Scott, dutifully reciting the Smirnov Hoax:
RACHEL SCOTT: Republicans built their case largely on a claim from an FBI informant that as vice president, Biden took a $5 million bribe from the Ukrainian energy company Burisma, where Hunter Biden sat on the board. The Justice Department now calls that story a fabrication, and the informant has been charged with lying to the FBI.
Of course, this is patently false. The impeachment inquiry was NOT built largely on the FD-1023. There is also the trove of documents contained within the laptop, the damning testimony of the IRS whistleblowers, testimony from Hunter’s several business partners, and the evidence collected in furtherance of Hunter's indictment on tax charges. But suggesting that the whole thing hangs on the FD-1023 makes it easier to dismiss the whole thing as little more than a fake partisan sham.
Scott carried the Democrats’ water during a gaggle with House Oversight Chair James Comer, by suggesting that Smirnov’s indictment somehow made the impeachment inquiry illegitimate. Here’s that exchange:
SCOTT: Chairman, what do you say to some Democrats who see this as a sham? They say that one of the people that you identified as credible, though…
JAMES COMER: Well, then they can --
SCOTT: …has been indicted of a crime. Indicted of lying.
COMER: Listen, they've mentioned three of the people that we deposed as not being credible. These people were the partners of Hunter Biden, okay? It's a reflection on the Bidens, not me, that their partners have all been indicted or in prison.
Scott ended the report with a quote from Hunter’s lawyer.
NBC and CBS followed similar templates, but weren’t interested in doing a full two minutes on Hunter Biden’s closed-door. You had brief reports, of approximately one minute in NBC’s case and CBS’s at around 30 seconds, that were more succinct in laying the narratives needed to protect the precious: the precious here being the electoral prospects of Joe Biden.
Click “expand” to view the full transcripts of the aforementioned reports as aired on the network evening newscasts on Wednesday, February 28th, 2024:
NBC NIGHTLY NEWS:
LESTER HOLT: Also tonight, Hunter Biden, the president's son, testifying to House Republicans today in his father's impeachment inquiry. Ryan Nobles joins us. Ryan, Hunter Biden had pretty sharp words today.
RYAN NOBLES: Yeah, that's right, Lester. Hunter Biden testifying behind closed doors that his father was not involved in any of his foreign business dealings, and he slammed House Republicans for what he called a, quote, “partisan political pursuit of my dad”. And Republicans are investigating whether or not the president was involved in what they describe as an effort by the Biden family to cash in on Joe Biden's political career. They point to testimony that Joe Biden joined a business meeting with Hunter Biden via speakerphone. Now, the impeachment inquiry is struggling to regain momentum after an informant who accused Joe Biden as being part of a bribery scheme was indicted for lying to the FBI. House Democrats say that is enough for the impeachment inquiry to come to an end. Lester.
HOLT: Ryan Nobles, thanks.
CBS EVENING NEWS:
NORAH O’DONNELL: Hunter Biden on Capitol Hill today sitting down for a seven hour closed-door deposition for House Republicans’ impeachment inquiry into his father. The president's son called the inquiry into his family's business dealings “a house of cards, built on lies”. House Republicans accused the Bidens of influence peddling, making millions off clients in Ukraine, China, and other foreign countries. A key witness, Alexander Smirnov, was arrested earlier this month for allegedly lying to the FBI, falsely claiming that the Bidens had taken millions of dollars in bribes.
ABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT:
DAVID MUIR: Meantime, the president's son Hunter Biden was questioned behind closed doors for seven hours today. The heated hearing part of the House Republicans’ impeachment inquiry into the president and his son. Here's ABC's Rachel Scott now.
RACHEL SCOTT: Tonight, President Biden's son Hunter testifying for nearly seven hours. As House Republicans forge ahead with their troubled impeachment investigation. Behind closed doors, Hunter Biden calling the investigation a “partisan political pursuit built on lies”. Insisting, "I did not involve my father in my business." Acknowledging "I have made mistakes in my life, but my mistakes and shortcomings are my own and not my father's." Republicans on the committee unloading.
NANCY MACE: Hunter Biden is being defiant and also dishonest.
SCOTT: Republicans built their case largely on a claim from an FBI informant that as vice president, Biden took a $5 million bribe from the Ukrainian energy company Burisma, where Hunter Biden sat on the board. The Justice Department now calls that story a fabrication, and the informant has been charged with lying to the FBI.
ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ: The Republican case has completely fallen apart over the last several weeks. They are now trying to scramble to find anything to substantiate their fairy tale.
SCOTT: Chairman, what do you say to some Democrats who see this as a sham? They say that one of the people that you identified as credible, though…
JAMES COMER: Well, then they can --
SCOTT: …has been indicted of a crime. Indicted of lying.
COMER: Listen, they've mentioned three of the people that we deposed as not being credible. These people were the partners of Hunter Biden, okay? It's a reflection on the Bidens, not me, that their partners have all been indicted or in prison.
SCOTT: Tonight, an attorney for Hunter Biden told reporters that after seven hours, Republicans failed to provide any evidence of wrongdoing by President Biden. The committee plans to release a transcript of that testimony in the coming days. David.
MUIR: Rachel Scott, live on The Hill for us. Rachel, thank you.
