{"id":2261967,"date":"2024-06-07T06:11:02","date_gmt":"2024-06-07T10:11:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/hunter-bidens-laptop-was-off-limits-in-2020-can-trump-make-it-a-debate-issue-now\/"},"modified":"2024-06-07T06:13:38","modified_gmt":"2024-06-07T10:13:38","slug":"hunter-bidens-laptop-was-off-limits-in-2020-can-trump-make-it-a-debate-issue-now","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/hunter-bidens-laptop-was-off-limits-in-2020-can-trump-make-it-a-debate-issue-now\/","title":{"rendered":"Is Hunter Biden\u2019s laptop fair game for Trump in the current debate?"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">24<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fhunter-bidens-laptop-was-off-limits-in-2020-can-trump-make-it-a-debate-issue-now%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2261967&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>President Joe\u2062 Biden hinted\u200b that his son&#8217;s laptop was linked to \u2062a Russian scheme in a past debate. This time, Trump may revisit the issue. With\u2063 Trump&#8217;s legal troubles and Hunter Biden&#8217;s ongoing trial, the debate is likely to be\u2063 intense. The laptop controversy, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/ex-cia-official-blinken-prompted-infamous-intel-statement-calling-hunter-biden-laptop-russian-disinfo\/\" title=\"Ex-CIA Official: Blinken Prompted Infamous Intel Statement Calling Hunter Biden Laptop Russian Disinfo\">debunked letter<\/a>,\u2062 and wider \u2064pattern of lies could become focal points for discussion.\u2063 In a previous \u200cdebate, President Joe Biden suggested his son&#8217;s \u2063laptop was part of a Russian scheme. Trump may bring up\u200d this issue again, adding intensity to the debate \u200camid his legal challenges and Hunter Biden&#8217;s trial. The laptop\u2062 controversy and allegations of deception could fuel significant\u2063 discussion during the event.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>President <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/joe-biden\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Joe Biden\">Joe Biden<\/a> implied his son\u2019s laptop was a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.debates.org\/voter-education\/debate-transcripts\/october-22-2020-debate-transcript\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Russian plot\">Russian plot<\/a> during the last presidential debate. He won\u2019t have that option this time around.<\/p>\n<p>While Biden will be ready to talk about former President <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Donald Trump\">Donald Trump<\/a>\u2018s felony conviction, first son <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/hunter-biden\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Donald Trump\">Hunter Biden<\/a>\u2018s troubles may also be top of mind for politicos tuning in.<\/p>\n<p>When the two presidential candidates last debated four years ago, Joe Biden went after Trump\u2019s credibility, saying, \u201cThe character of the country is on the ballot. Our character is on the ballot.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Trump <a href=\"https:\/\/www.c-span.org\/video\/?c5006807\/user-clip-laptop-hell\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"fired back\">fired back<\/a> with the laptop. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cDon\u2019t give me the stuff about how you\u2019re this innocent baby,\u201d Trump said. \u201cJoe, they\u2019re calling you a corrupt politician! Take a look at the laptop from hell.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Though moderator Kristen Welker tried to cut in with a question, Joe Biden was ready to address the allegation.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere are 50 former national intelligence folks who said that what he\u2019s accusing me of is a Russian plan,\u201d Joe Biden said. \u201cFour or five heads of the CIA, both parties, say what he\u2019s saying is a bunch of garbage.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Four years later, Hunter Biden is in a gun charges trial in which the laptop was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/3028301\/hunter-biden-silver-laptop-shown-courtroom-gun-trial\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"entered as evidence\">entered as evidence<\/a>, and House Republicans allege the letter Joe Biden referenced was<a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/1049416\/hunter-biden-investigation-blinken-may-have-played-a-bigger-role-in-letter-to-discredit-laptop\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\" coordinated by campaign advisor Antony Blinken\"> coordinated by campaign advisor Antony Blinken<\/a>, who is now Secretary of State. <\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s unclear whether Trump will bring up the laptop again in the June 27 debate, especially because Joe Biden will have an obvious rebuttal.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe easy answer is \u2018I\u2019m sorry, you want to talk about my son being on trial when you were just found guilty in the state of New York?&#8217;\u201d Democratic strategist Stefan Hankin said. \u201cAnd then you pivot into all of President Trump\u2019s challenges.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Most viewers will be much more interested in Trump\u2019s conviction than anything going on with Joe Biden\u2019s son, Hankin says, though there is one thing he said the president should avoid.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf Biden brings [the conviction] up first, it gives Trump the opportunity to sort of both-sides it, which you don\u2019t want to get into,\u201d he said. \u201cLet Trump say something about the laptop first, and then you can respond.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Like Trump\u2019s \u201chush money\u201d payments, the controversy over Hunter Biden\u2019s laptop emerged before the 2020 election and has been heavily covered in the media in the years since. What\u2019s different now is the younger Biden is on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/u-s-whistleblower-edward-snowdens-wife-shares-photos-of-their-new-son\/\" title=\"U.S. whistleblower Edward Snowden\u2019s wife shares photos of their new son\">criminal trial<\/a> now in Delaware and the president has the power to pardon him, though <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/3030249\/biden-will-not-pardon-hunter-will-respect-verdicts\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"he's denied\">he\u2019s denied<\/a> he\u2019d use it. <\/p>\n<p>Republican strategist John Feehery says the laptop issue, and Joe Biden\u2019s discounting of it using a now-debunked letter,\u00a0can be relevant if Trump establishes it\u2019s part of a wider pattern.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBiden lied about Hunter\u2019s laptop. The question for debate: What else has he lied about?\u201d Feehery said.<br \/>\u201cI think Trump has to spell that out, from the border to the economy to crime.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Other Republicans definitely think the various allegations surrounding Hunter Biden and James Biden, the president\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/the-next-hunter-kamala-harriss-stepdaughter-cashes-in-on-biden-presidency\/\" title=\"The Next Hunter? Kamala Harris\u2019s Stepdaughter Cashes in on Biden Presidency\">younger brother<\/a>, remain relevant. House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-KY) spoke about them on Fox News on Wednesday night.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis 60-page <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/3028788\/republicans-criminal-referrals-hunter-james-biden-false-statements\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"criminal referral\">criminal referral<\/a> for Hunter &#038; James Biden is based on HARD evidence,\u201d Comer posted on X. \u201cThe President\u2019s son &#038; brother peddled lies to protect the Big Guy, Joe Biden.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure>\n<div>\n<blockquote data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<div lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">\n<p>\ud83d\udea8This 60-page criminal referral for Hunter &#038; James Biden is based on HARD evidence. <\/p>\n<p>The President&#8217;s son &#038; brother peddled lies to protect the Big Guy, Joe Biden.<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@POTUS<\/a> claims no one is above the law. We will soon see his DOJ put that principle to the test. <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/IngrahamAngle?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@IngrahamAngle<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/2ynpK8rFwe\">pic.twitter.com\/2ynpK8rFwe<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u2014 Rep. James Comer (@RepJamesComer) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/RepJamesComer\/status\/1798719424847106156?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">June 6, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>House Republicans also brought up Hunter Biden during a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/house\/3027801\/top-takeaways-merrick-garland-hearing-congress\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"five-hour hearing\">five-hour hearing<\/a> with Attorney General Merrick Garland this week. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cMr. Attorney General, the public has seen through the claims you\u2019ve made today about fair and impartial pursuit of justice,\u201d Rep. Ben Cline (R-VA) said. \u201cThey see that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/sgt-john-mattingly-the-cop-wounded-in-breonna-taylor-shooting-tells-his-story\/\" title=\"Sgt. John Mattingly, The Cop Wounded In Breonna Taylor Shooting, Tells His Story\">lady justice\u2019<\/a>s blindfold has slipped off, and they need look no further than the treatment by your department of former President Trump and current defendant Hunter Biden.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Democrats countered that the younger Biden\u2019s trial, which is being prosecuted by a Department of Justice special counsel, is itself proof of the agency\u2019s impartiality.<\/p>\n<p>While Trump is the first former president to be convicted of a felony, Hunter Biden is the first child of a sitting president to become a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/california-supreme-court-ends-cash-bail-for-some-who-cannot-pay\/\" title=\"California Supreme Court Ends Cash Bail For Some Who Cannot Pay\">criminal defendant<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Joe Biden has not shied away from his son in the wake of the allegations or trial. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt impacts my presidency by making me feel proud of him,\u201d Joe Biden said during a 2023 interview with MSNBC when asked about his son\u2019s legal problems.<\/p>\n<p>First lady Jill Biden <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/3025829\/jill-biden-attends-hunter-bidens-gun-trial\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"spent her 73rd birthday\">spent her 73rd birthday<\/a> attending the Delaware trial, as did other members of the Biden family. The president wasn\u2019t there but had been with his son just a few days prior.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI am the president, but I am also a Dad,\u201d Joe Biden wrote in a Monday morning statement. \u201cJill and I love our son, and we are so proud of the man he is today. Hunter\u2019s resilience in the face of adversity and the strength he has brought to his recovery are inspiring to us. A lot of families have loved ones who have overcome addiction and know what we mean.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>But while Joe Biden hopes to be seen as a father sticking by a troubled son, Trump will likely try to paint him as someone who is covering up his own corruption.<\/p>\n<p>Hunter Biden, like Trump, has also described his trial as politically motivated, saying in a 2023 interview that \u201cthey\u2019re trying to destroy a presidency.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><strong>CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Tom Cochran, a Democratic strategist and partner at 720 Strategies, says the two candidates have better things to talk about during the debate. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019d love to see us avoid the schoolyard bully path [this debate] seems to be heading into and focus on the issues voters are interested in hearing about: the economy, immigration, reproductive rights, and healthcare,\u201d he said. \u201cMy own guess is Trump will bring up the laptop comment and Biden will respond with comments about the conviction.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>President Joe Biden dismissed his son&#8217;s laptop as a Russian scheme in the previous debate, but won&#8217;t have that defense now. With Trump&#8217;s legal issues and Hunter Biden&#8217;s controversies looming, the upcoming debate promises to be intense for political observers<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2635,"featured_media":2261968,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/biden-trump-debate.jpg.optimal.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2261967","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/biden-trump-debate.jpg.optimal.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2261967","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2635"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2261967"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2261967\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2261968"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2261967"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2261967"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2261967"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}