White House deputy press secretary Olivia Dalton rushed to the defense of President Biden after Fox News White House correspondent Jacqui Heinrich cornered her on the optics of Hunter Biden attending a State dinner, referring to comments made by former press secretary Jen Psaki.
(Video Credit: C-SPAN)
Many in the media as well as Americans in general have openly wondered why the president would have his son, who is mired in legal problems, attend the State dinner for Prime Minister Narendra Modi of the Republic of India last week.
It’s almost as if Biden was arrogantly shoving the issue in America’s face just days after Hunter Biden cut a sweetheart plea deal that will only have him serving probation. The first son got a slap on the wrist despite tax evasion, lying on a gun form, a penchant for hookers and drugs, and the accusation of massive corruption in dealing with foreign entities in an alleged pay-for-play scheme with his father.
During Tuesday’s briefing, Heinrich got right to it asking Dalton about the dinner, making a reference to MSNBC host Jen Psaki while doing so. Dalton was behind the podium for the first time, notably filling in for press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre. She also wanted to know about the first son going to Camp David for the weekend.
“What message is the president trying to send to the American people when he invites his son to the State dinner? And Camp David, as we saw this past weekend, amid everything he’s going through?” Heinrich asked.
Mystery swirls as Karine Jean-Pierre unexpectedly replaced at podium https://t.co/8DDhhK8o64 via @BIZPACReview
— BPR based (@DumpstrFireNews) June 28, 2023
What kind of loving father allows his son to do the things Hunter did *in his father’s name*?
— Andrea E (@AAC0519) June 27, 2023
Olivia Dalton (@ODalton46) made her first appearance at the White House briefing room podium today. She sounded robotic, reading off numbers and praising @JoeBiden while criticizing @realDonaldTrump. It seemed like more of a propaganda speech. May God help us. pic.twitter.com/y1spciirk9
— Simon Ateba (@simonateba) June 27, 2023
“Every president of the United States has invited their family to a state dinner. This president also has a family. He is no different. And beyond that, I’m just not going to engage on this,” Dalton responded, defending Biden and justifying his actions.
“The former White House press secretary, Jen Psaki, acknowledged that optically, that might not have been easier for the White House. Can you elaborate on that at all? The decision to invite the president’s son amid everything that he’s going through and what challenges that poses for this White House to explain,” the Fox News reporter continued.
“Like every other administration, like every other president, this president has a family. And he did exactly what many prior administrations have done. And beyond that, I really don’t have any comment on this,” Dalton said, repeating herself while giving a parrotted version of what Jean-Pierre said last week.
Tune in for a briefing with Principal Deputy Press Secretary Olivia Dalton. https://t.co/uLtsjE7DjW
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) June 27, 2023
Psaki actually had a lot more to say Tuesday morning on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” concerning the optics of Hunter Biden being paraded around the White House and Camp David.
(Video Credit: MSNBC)
“I’m just curious because if you look at right-wing websites or watch certain TV channels, you will hear all about Hunter at the state dinner. I mean, you will hear Jim Jordan going on and on and on about conspiracy theories and you won’t hear as much about this. And I’m just curious, the White House obviously not going to chime in on these audiotapes or anything like that. But at the same time, how does the Biden White House make a distinction that cuts through to people that are being honestly misled?” co-host Mika Brzezinski disingenuously asked Psaki.
“Such a good question, Mika. I don’t spend too much time on right-wing websites, but I completely concur with what you’re saying about what’s out there and the challenge the White House has right now. I mean, for them, if you’re sitting in a White House right now, you’re putting your head down around all of these investigations. They’re not going to comment, or that is their strategy, on the specifics of any of Trump’s legal woes. And the same thing on Hunter,” Psaki replied.
Psaki then spun Hunter Biden’s appearance at the State dinner as a family issue, using the talking point made popular in the last 48 hours that the president loves his son and is standing by him.
Yup, everybody got the memo how to respond. Have to admit that they nail that every time. Everybody in lockstep.
— JayG (@jgstaal) June 27, 2023
So, that’s the angle Legacy Media is running with? “The love of a Father?” Really reaching to pull and tug at those liberal strings
— Arnulfo Cardenas Jr (@ArnulfoCarden17) June 27, 2023
So the View had the same story – I’m guessing the memo went out to all cable news to call it father/son thing – amazing how these parrots just spew the same crap when instructed to –
— Allan Davis (@SrgtPreston) June 27, 2023
“I think, you know, what we saw with Hunter appearing at the state dinner was, in my suspicion was the president, his son wanted to come, so his son’s going to come to the dinner,” Psaki contended.
“Was that optically easier for the White House and the White House communications team? Absolutely not,” she added. “But I suspect that was more in the family circumstance of him wanting to come and wanting to, just the president wanting to show that he loves his son and he’s standing by him.”
Of course, she brought former President Trump further into the mix.
“What I suspect, Mika, as we watch this over the next couple of months is they will be very quiet for the time being. But once it gets into the middle of the campaign, they’re going to have to find a way to your point to draw that contrast, not by commenting on the specifics of a criminal investigation or the specific ups and downs of every legal development, but by drawing the morals and the values contrast, right?” Psaki asserted.
“There is one president who values our national security and protects documents, protects our secrets, and there’s another former presidential candidate who doesn’t. There’s one who stands up for democracy and our democratic values, and there’s one who doesn’t. There are ways to draw the contrast without getting into the specifics, but I think we’re not going to see that for a little while,” she concluded.
@jrpsaki Jen Psaki lies so badly when she claims one Potus (45) had “no respect” 4 his WH documents while the others did
Oh really?
Biden stole & stored his illegally & carelessly – b4 he was even installed as Potus – in his garage while his drug & sex addicted son lived there
— Bill Peguillan (@BillPegs) June 27, 2023
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