House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) faced a challenging moment during a recent press conference when a reporter confronted him about his criticism of Hunter Biden’s plea deal with the Department of Justice (DOJ) after being charged with failure to pay federal income tax and illegally possessing a weapon.
Under the terms of the deal, Hunter Biden is expected to plead guilty to two misdemeanor tax offenses while avoiding prosecution on illegal gun charges. This arrangement takes into account Hunter Biden’s history of addiction and substance abuse.
The plea deal has sparked anger among House Republicans, including McCarthy, who expressed his dissatisfaction, but his arguments were quickly challenged.
Speaking with reporters, McCarthy claimed the deal showcases a two-tiered system in America. According to McCarthy, if you are the president’s political opponent, such as Donald Trump, the DOJ will attempt to imprison you. However, if you are the president’s son, you receive what he calls a “sweetheart deal.”
“It continues to show a two-tiered system in America,” McCarthy told reporters Tuesday. “If you are the president’s leading political opponent [Donald Trump], the DOJ tries to literally put you in jail and give you prison. If you are the president’s son, you get a sweetheart deal.
But McCarthy stumbled when he was confronted with the fact that it was a Trump appointed US Attorney that led the investigation, and a reported asked him why he would not accept that this is a thorough investigation.
McCarthy’s response to the reporter’s question left him searching for a coherent explanation.
“This does nothing to our investigation. It actually should enhance our investigation because the DOJ should not be able to withhold any information now, saying that it is pending investigation. They should be able to provide [Republican House Oversight Committee] Chairman [James] Comer with any information that he requires,” McCarthy replied.
Watch:
McCarthy: My first reaction is that it is continuing to show the two-tier system in America…
Reporter: This is a Trump appointed US Attorney that was held over, and why would you not accept that this is a thorough investigation? pic.twitter.com/B6nXHfdYip
— Acyn (@Acyn) June 20, 2023