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The spotlight is shining on impeachment proceedings again. This time, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy has directed three House committees to probe whether President Biden financially benefited from his son Hunter’s international business activities. McCarthy accused the Biden family of fostering “a culture of corruption,” suggesting that Hunter received “special treatment” in a tax and gun investigation, and further alleging that Biden lied about his knowledge of his son’s financial dealings.
For those supporting an impeachment investigation, there’s good news – Americans seem to generally suspect that Hunter Biden’s business activities were dubious at best, and potentially illegal. However, the impeachment inquiry targets his father, not Hunter. Until now, Republicans have not presented any solid evidence connecting the president to his son’s overseas business affairs. However, the impeachment inquiry may give them access to bank records and other financial documents from both Bidens. Currently, Republicans are convinced that Biden is implicated in Hunter’s misdeeds, while overall, Americans are more prone to perceive former President Donald Trump’s family as corrupt compared to the Bidens. There’s no broad consensus supporting an impeachment inquiry, indicating that Republicans need to work harder to gain public support for their investigation.
A significant amount of money has been amassed by Hunter Biden through overseas business deals, which is less disputed. A YouGov/The Economist poll carried out in August, after his plea deal collapsed, found that 72% of Americans believe Hunter Biden profited from his father’s government positions, including a slight majority (53%) of Democrats. The same poll revealed that two-thirds (66%) of Americans have an unfavorable view of Hunter Biden.
Nevertheless, the subject of the impeachment inquiry is his father, not Hunter. To justify impeachment, Republicans must demonstrate the president’s involvement in corruption or financial misconduct that meets the standard of an impeachable offense. Currently, Republicans are making accusations without supporting evidence.
In terms of public sentiment, Republicans are not only lacking evidence connecting Biden to his son’s questionable actions, but they also lack public support. A significant portion of Americans doesn’t believe an impeachment inquiry into Biden is necessary at the moment.
To conclude, allegations against the Biden family, particularly Hunter, could potentially harm Biden politically. However, without concrete evidence tying Biden to his son’s questionable activities and lacking public support, Republicans face an uphill battle in their impeachment efforts.
Note: This article has been corrected. A previous version stated that House Speaker Kevin McCarthy claimed, without providing evidence, that Hunter Biden shared some of the money he made through foreign deals with his family. While evidence exists showing that Hunter Biden’s family members also profited from these deals, McCarthy did not provide evidence to prove it was illegal or corrupt in his announcement.
