White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre appeared overwhelmed as Fox News White House correspondent Peter Doocy threw questions about Hunter Biden at her during Wednesday’s briefing.
The younger Biden made a surprise appearance Wednesday for a House Oversight Committee hearing on holding him in contempt of Congress for defying a congressional subpoena in December. He fled the hearing after Republican lawmakers confronted him directly and sparked tensions with Democratic congressmen.
“Hunter Biden on Capitol Hill today, how big of a headache is that for you?” Doocy asked Jean-Pierre.
“Hunter Biden is a private citizen, he is not a member of the White House, as you know, and I just don’t have anything else to share,” the press secretary answered.
“But the last time he was on the Hill, you said the president was certainly familiar with what his son was going to say,” Doocy added.
“I did say that, and what I’m saying today—” she said.
“So is it the official line that President Biden does not help him with his business deals, but he does help him skirt congressional subpoenas?” Doocy continued. (RELATED: Hunter Seemingly Gives Excuse For Putting Dad On Speakerphone While Surrounded By Business Associates)
“That is not even true, that is a jump that is … that is incredibly disingenuous in that question. What I will say to you—” she said.
“Just help us out, just tell us what the president knew,” Doocy said.
The press secretary declined to comment further on whether the president knew about his son’s plan to defy the subpoena and arrive on Capitol Hill during the contempt hearing.
The House Oversight Committee and Judiciary Committee subpoenaed Biden to testify Dec. 13 behind a closed-door deposition about his family’s overseas business dealings. The president’s son appeared outside of the Capitol where he told reporters he is willing to testify before the committees publicly and then left Capitol grounds without attending the deposition.
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer and Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan threatened to hold Biden in contempt of Congress before the deposition and announced their plans to hold markups to consider a resolution to hold him in contempt.