President Joe Biden is facing an impeachment inquiry over his involvement with his son, Hunter Biden’s, business dealings. Meanwhile, Hunter’s recent indictment may be pulling the president’s attention. As we look to the 2024 presidential election, Hunter and Joe’s relationship will continue to be a topic of conversation to be informed on.
The inquiry began last week after House Speaker Kevin McCarthy directed congressional Republicans to open an investigation. According to The New York Times, this goes against the House vote McCarthy said would happen before an impeachment inquiry would be initiated.
Hunter’s foreign business dealings and Joe’s connections to them are the focus of the inquiry. As reported by NBC News, these dealings have been connected to fraud and bribery. If Hunter gave this money to Joe or communicated with him about it, this could put the president in a compromising position.
The House Speaker claims Joe’s “false or overly simplistic statements” about Hunter’s business dealings could mean he had more involvement than he lets on. McCarthy has pointed out several places where connections could be drawn, but there hasn’t been any evidence to back his claims.
For example, the president didn’t ask for the investigation to give his son any special treatment, but claims have been pushed that Joe’s refusal to investigate corruption in Ukraine has been influenced by Hunter’s Ukrainian business dealings. There haven't been any charges by the U.S. Treasury Department against Joe either. This lack of evidence could mean there isn’t a case for impeachment.
Meanwhile, Hunter finds himself facing an indictment. The three charges against him include false claims on a federal firearms form and possession of a firearm as a prohibited person, according to CNN. A date and location have not been decided, and there aren’t plans for a self-surrender or initial appearance at this point.
This won’t help Joe as he heads onto the campaign trail. His focus may be pulled as he tries to balance his son’s indictment, his impeachment inquiry and his run for presidency. Joe has resisted these concerns, telling NBC News that his focus remains on the issues that affect the American people every single day.
Impeachment is not supposed to be a commonly used process. Before Donald Trump, only Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton were impeached during their presidencies. An impeachment occurs when the House motions the needed articles forward, and it’s voted on in the House with a majority. The Senate then holds an impeachment trial, and if the president is found guilty, they could be removed from office. In the past, acquittals in the Senate have allowed presidents to continue to serve.
It seems to be true that political polarization has led to this increase in impeachment inquiries. Removing a president should not be the focus of the U.S. governmental bodies when there are so many other concerns within our country to be addressed. A government shutdown is looming, and this potential impeachment feels like a distraction.
This inquiry deserves more attention as it may affect the course of the 2024 presidential election. Additionally, it’s necessary to keep our politicians accountable for how they spend their time in office. It’s unclear how badly the American people want this impeachment, but it’s very clear that there are bigger issues that need to be addressed more immediately, like the economy and natural disaster damages.
Claire Schiopota is a senior studying journalism. Please note that the opinions expressed in this column do not reflect those of The Post. Want Claire to cover a certain topic or talk about her column? Email her at cs123719@ohio.edu or tweet her @CSchiopota.
