Give Rep. James Comer credit for grasping the key purpose of Congress’ power to investigate.
The GOP chair of the House Oversight Committee, which has been pursuing allegations of financial chicanery by members of President Joe Biden’s family, had this to say about the impact of the inquiry: “You look at the polling, and right now Donald Trump is seven points ahead of Joe Biden and trending upward; Joe Biden’s trending downward. And I believe that the media is looking around, scratching their head, and they’re realizing the American people are keeping up with our investigation.”
Those with a keen memory found echoes in the more-candid-than-careful remarks of future Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who celebrated the Benghazi investigation into 2016 presidential candidate Hillary Clinton by saying: “Everybody thought Hillary Clinton was unbeatable, right? But we put together a Benghazi special committee, a select committee. What are her numbers today? Her numbers are dropping.” That comment drew a stern public rebuke from then-committee chair Trey Gowdy, who said “Kevin, you’re wrong.”
Rep. James Comer speaks during a press conference on the House Oversight and Accountability Committee’s investigation into the Biden family on May 10, 2023.
Evan Vucci/AP Photo
As a historical matter, none of the stories about presidential family troubles have led to serious political damage. Obviously, Republicans are determined to make the case against “the Biden crime family” an exception.
But there’s one case in which an attack on a president’s (very) extended family has backfired.
During the 1944 election, Republicans began to charge that FDR had left his dog Fala behind on a visit to the Aleutian Islands and spent millions in taxpayer dollars to send a destroyer to recover him. At a Teamsters dinner in Washington, Roosevelt “defended” his dog with what became one of the funniest and most devastating responses in political history. It shut down GOP critics and made Fala even more of a beloved national celebrity.
Unfortunately for Biden, Comer and his allies are working mightily to make sure there’s nothing funny about his family’s travails. So how should the president respond, particularly if Hunter Biden is indicted on tax violations or for making a false statement when buying a gun?
Should he scold his wayward son like the Clintons, berate the Deep State like Trump or laugh it off like Roosevelt?
Perhaps some tough love might be best: The president could say he loves his son, express regret that Hunter fell into drug abuse and insist that Hunter received no special treatment. One possible approach: “When I say ‘No one is above the law,’ I mean it — even if it means my son.”
President Joe Biden and Hunter Biden step off Air Force One. Republicans are scrutinizing whether members of the Biden family profited from their association with Joe Biden.