White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki on Thursday refused to comment on the New York Times’ “confirmation” that emails from Hunter Biden’s laptop are authentic, after repeatedly claiming the story was “Russian disinformation”—before and after the 2020 presidential election.
In a report about the Department of Justice’s investigation into Biden’s taxes and international business dealings, the Times on Wednesday—a year and a half after dismissing the The New York Post’s bombshell reports—admitted that the scandalous emails between Biden and his business associates “were authenticated by people familiar with them and with the investigation,” and “appear to have come from a laptop abandoned by Mr. Biden in a Delaware repair shop.”
In the category of – didn’t see this coming : The @nytimes confirms the authenticity of Hunter Biden emails derived from his laptop that had been previously dismissed as Russian disinformation. pic.twitter.com/nK7xnD0fP2
— Michael Isikoff (@Isikoff) March 17, 2022
One particularly damning email in the Post’s Oct. 14, 2020 report showed that Hunter Biden had introduced his father, then President Barack Obama’s vice president, to a top executive at Burisma Holdings, a notoriously corrupt energy firm where Hunter sat on the Board. A year later, Biden called for the ouster of a top Ukrainian prosecutor who was investigating corruption at Burisma, including corruption involving his son. Joe Biden has repeatedly denied knowing anything about Hunter’s business dealings in Ukraine.
After this explosive New York Post investigation revealing Joe Biden LIED to the American people about his involvement in Hunter Biden's business deals…
…the Biden campaign has CALLED A LID FOR THE DAY at 9:41 AM.
Biden is back in hiding! https://t.co/HMou7ncDzP
— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) October 14, 2020
With the 2020 election just weeks away, the corporate media went into full damage control mode, and worked to shoot down the burgeoning scandal as it threatened to torpedo their chosen candidate’s campaign.
Natasha Bertrand, writing for Politico, put out an article on October 19 titled: “Hunter Biden story is Russian disinfo, dozens of former intel officials say.”
Here's a letter signed by over 50 top IC officials claiming the Hunter Biden laptop was Russian disinformation.
Includes Clapper, Brennan, Morrell, etc. Joe Biden & Psaki said it too.
Imagine taking any of these people remotely seriously today. https://t.co/rbHZEvBOyW
— Jordan Schachtel @ dossier.substack.com (@JordanSchachtel) March 17, 2022
Bertrand hyped a letter signed by more than 50 intelligence officials who stated that even though there was no evidence to prove the emails were falsified or that Putin had anything to do with them, they felt like it could be Russian disinformation based on their experience.
Multiple media outlets that same day ran anonymously sourced stories claiming that the FBI was investigating the emails as part of a Russian effort to spread disinformation ahead of the 2020 election.
Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, falsely claimed emails were somehow a “smear” that originated in the Kremlin.
“The origins of this whole smear are from the Kremlin and the president is only too happy to have Kremlin help in trying to amplify it,” Schiff said on CNN.
The media was so eager to discredit the story, they ran with the weak and stupid “Russian disinformation” narrative, and as Glenn Greenwald noted on his Substack, the idea that “the emails were fake, and that Russia manufactured them became an article of faith among the U.S.’s justifiably despised class of media employees.”
One of those media hacks was Psaki, who was then working as a commentator at CNN.
Hunter Biden story is Russian disinfo, dozens of former intel officials say https://t.co/zRdHxTxVsl
— Jen Psaki (@jrpsaki) October 20, 2020
When asked about Hunter Biden’s laptop in September of 2021, Psaki airily dismissed the question, saying: “I think it’s broadly known and widely known that there was a broad range of Russian disinformation back in 2020.”
Peter Doocy asks if the White House's official position is that criticism following files pulled from Hunter Biden's laptop are still "Russian disinformation."@PressSec: "It’s broadly known and widely known, that there was a broad range of Russian disinformation back in 2020." pic.twitter.com/56DKvy9dIX
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) September 24, 2021
When asked again about the authenticity of the laptop in December, Psaki said she “neither had the time nor interest” in reading NYP reporter Miranda Devine’s book “Laptop From Hell.”
Psaki Dodges Question on Whether Hunter's "Laptop from Hell" is Russian Disinformation pic.twitter.com/ODrM9JhFNK
— Breitbart News (@BreitbartNews) December 6, 2021
In the wake of the NYT’s story, White House reporters pressed Psaki again on Thursday to comment on Hunter Biden’s laptop, but this time, the press secretary was more tight lipped.
“I have pointed to the Department of Justice, and also to Hunter Biden’s representatives—he doesn’t work for the government,” she responded curtly.
Reporter: "The New York Times has authenticated emails that appear to have come from a laptop abandoned by Hunter Biden in Delaware."@PressSec: "I would point you to Hunter Biden's representatives. He doesn't work for the government." https://t.co/mBOZ8DjSGy pic.twitter.com/tyzCeCbwL9
— The Hill (@thehill) March 17, 2022
Another reporter reminded Psaki that she had dismissed the story as “Russian disinformation” in October of 2020.
“Do you stand by that assessment,” he asked.
“Again, I’ve pointed to the Dept. of Justice, and Hunter Biden’s representatives. I’m a spokesperson for the United States,” she continued condescendingly. “He doesn’t work for the United States.”
#WATCH | @PressSec refuses another question about the Hunter Biden laptop scandal arguing Hunter “doesn’t work for the United States”. pic.twitter.com/NZblRF8phb
— El American (@ElAmerican_) March 17, 2022
He wasn’t working for the United States last year either, but that didn’t stop Psaki from telling reporters in the White House briefing room that the story was “Russian disinformation.”
via amgreatness
