As Washington politics roared on Capitol Hill with House Republicans spearheading Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s recent move to initiate an impeachment inquiry on President Joe Biden, the president remained duly focused at the White House and expressed his support for bipartisan efforts to combat cancer. His refusal to address the impeachment question reaffirmed the central strategy of his reelection campaign: govern well and demonstrate tangible results that warrant another tenure of presidency, despite the clamor of impeachment talk.
Away from the prying cameras, Biden shared his stance with an audience at a reelection fundraiser, underscoring his commitment to his role, regardless of the impeachment chatter. “I get up every day,” he insisted. “Not focusing on impeachment, but on the daily issues that impact the American people.”
The apparent threat of impeachment, driven by Republicans seeking to draw attention to Biden’s connection to his son Hunter’s business activities and divert attention from the legal issues tugging at former President Donald Trump, is no sudden occurrence. The White House has been amassing defenses ever since the Republicans took hold of the House in the November elections, with around two dozen staff members from the counsel’s office allocated towards the issue.
The initial aspects of the White House impeachment tactics seem to follow a simple mantra: Dismiss. Compartmentalize. Scold. This translates to ignoring the allegations as groundless, concentrating on policy matters, leaving the impeachment issue to the lawyers, and criticizing those who lend credence to the impeachment narrative.
The White House press secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre, has painted the entire process as a “political stunt”, suggesting that House Republicans should instead devote their efforts towards addressing issues significant to the American public. Nonetheless, the matter has been a dicey one for Biden due to the personal nature of the probe that delves into his relationship with his son whose complex decisions have resulted in the current predicament.
Despite repeated declarations by the White House that Biden was unconnected to his son’s business, the smear of controversy surrounding Hunter Biden’s questionable affairs is yet to uncover any substantial evidence against the president.
This entanglement with his son parallels the former criminal investigation into Hunter’s dealings. However, the inception of a formal inquiry alters the scene slightly, introducing an element of pressing urgency. In response, the Biden reelection campaign has begun sending out fundraising emails denouncing the probe.
Historically, given the rarity of impeachment threats, it is challenging to draw parallels. Yet, the current scenario reminiscent of the late 1990s impeachment of President Bill Clinton pursued by the then Republican House speaker Newt Gingrich, successfully refuted through robust public communication, gives Biden’s team a potential playbook.
This reality hints at the possible dangers in store for McCarthy as he navigates similar waters. There is anticipation that the response exhibited by the Biden White House will shoulder the weight of the collected misinformation and false innuendos, frustrating the efforts of House leaders in their attempt to tether an inquiry.
The fervor of impeachment, which has already lashed two U.S. Presidents—Andrew Johnson and Donald Trump, the latter being the only president to be indicted twice and acquitted as well, ensnares Biden in possibly the first criminal charges over attempting to invalidate his victory against Trump in the 2020 election.
Biden’s focus did not waver despite the tempestuous political climate. The president and first lady Jill Biden, undeterred by impeachment talk, conducted a meeting with top administrative officials to discuss their battle against cancer, a cause close to their hearts following the loss of their elder son, Beau, to the disease. The dismissal of reporters’ vociferous inquiries on the impeachment marked the closing of the gathering.
