Immediately following U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland’s announcement on Friday that he was appointing U.S. Attorney David Weiss as special counsel to further investigate Hunter Biden, CNN’s panelists were beside themselves. But given a little bit of time, during CNN News Central’s 2 p.m. hour, the feelings didn’t wane as White House correspondent and President Biden’s apple polisher, Arlette Saenz lamented that the investigation was becoming “a more challenging legal and political issue” for Joe.
When asked by co-host Brianna Keiler about if the White House had received a heads up from the Department of Justice and if they had a response, Saenz boasted that “the White House is really sticking to the no comment strategy” and beamed at the pleasure of being given the runaround:
When I reached out to them after Merrick Garland announced the appointment of that special counsel, they simply referred me back to the Justice Department, as well as Hunter Biden's personal representatives.
And I'm told by a White House official that they did not receive any heads-up before this announcement came, learning about this the very same way that we all did as Merrick Garland stood at the podium to announce the appointment of the special counsel.
“But this all follows really this approach from the White House has tried to maintain the independence of the Justice Department,” she touted. “As you have seen in past investigations, whether it’s related to the Bidens or of those special counsel investigations regarding former President Trump, they really have tried to stay out and refrain from commenting in any manner.”
She lamented that “this appointment of a special counsel serves as another complicated moment in the issues surrounding Hunter Biden,” but praised how the Biden family was rallying around Hunter:
From the White House, we have simply, in the past, heard that President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden love and support their son. Of course, they continue to have him here at the White House, often for family gatherings and other events, really showing no indications that they are distancing themselves from their son amid these investigations.
“This is a very personal matter for the Bidens, but it's also becoming a more challenging legal and political issue for President Biden as well,” she bemoaned. “He has faced the sustained pressure and criticism from Republicans relating to his son Hunter's business dealings. There's been threats of an impeachment inquiry up – Republican lawmakers up in the House of Representatives.”
And, of course, she went over how this was a problem for Biden’s reelection effort:
And so, these are all issues the President will have to navigate as this 2024 election proceeds and as now this investigation into his son enters a new phase with the appointment of a special counsel.
CNN’s lamenting for the Bidens was made possible because of lucrative sponsorships from Wayfair and Prevagen. Their contact information is linked.
The transcript is below, click "expand" to read:
CNN News Central
August 11, 2023
2:05:22 p.m. Eastern(…)
BRIANNA KEILER: The White House didn't, they say, get a heads-up about this move. Have they offered a response at this point?
ARLETTE SAENZ: Well Brianna, the White House is really sticking to the no comment strategy. When I reached out to them after Merrick Garland announced the appointment of that special counsel, they simply referred me back to the Justice Department, as well as Hunter Biden's personal representatives.
And I'm told by a White House official that they did not receive any heads-up before this announcement came, learning about this the very same way that we all did as Merrick Garland stood at the podium to announce the appointment of the special counsel.
But this all follows really this approach from the White House has tried to maintain the independence of the Justice Department. As you have seen in past investigations, whether it’s related to the Bidens or of those special counsel investigations regarding former President Trump, they really have tried to stay out and refrain from commenting in any manner.
But this appointment of a special counsel serves as another complicated moment in the issues surrounding Hunter Biden. From the White House we have simply, in the past, heard that President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden love and support their son. Of course, they continue to have him here at the White House, often for family gatherings and other events, really showing no indications that they are distancing themselves from their son amid these investigations.
This is a very personal matter for the Bidens, but it's also becoming a more challenging legal and political issue for President Biden as well. He has faced the sustained pressure and criticism from Republicans relating to his son Hunter's business dealings. There's been threats of an impeachment inquiry up – Republican lawmakers up in the House of Representatives.
And so, these are all issues the President will have to navigate as this 2024 election proceeds and as now this investigation into his son enters a new phase with the appointment of a special counsel.
KEILER: All right. Arlette Saenz, live for us at the White House. Thank you so much for that.
