Donald Trump has suggested the impeachment inquiry into Joe Biden, launched on Tuesday by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, “may not” have been initiated were it not for the two impeachments he faced as president, and indicated Biden could end up facing legal indictments as well.
The former president made the comments during an interview with Megyn Kelly which was broadcast on Thursday on her SiriusXM show, his first with the former Fox News star in seven years.
McCarthy’s impeachment inquiry will focus on whether Joe Biden benefitted improperly as a result of the business activities and alleged influence peddling of his son, Hunter Biden. A number of House committee investigations have yet to uncover evidence of this and the president has denied any wrongdoing.
Speaking to Kelly about the impeachment inquiry into Biden, Trump commented: “I think had they not done it to me…perhaps you wouldn’t have it being done to them. And this is going to happen with indictments, too.”
Trump faced impeachment proceedings twice during his time as president. In December 2019, he was impeached over claims he abused his power by putting pressure on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate his political rivals. In January 2021, Trump was impeached a second time over allegations of inciting an insurrection over the storming of Congress on January 6, 2021, by hundreds of his supporters. In both cases, Trump was acquitted by the Senate, where a two-thirds majority is needed to convict, though in the latter case, a number of Republican Senators broke rank to vote against the then-president.
Since leaving office, Trump has been indicted four times, on charges related to the alleged payment of hush money to a former pornographic actress, the alleged mishandling of classified documents, and allegedly breaking the law in an attempt to overturn the 2020 presidential election both across the United States, and in the state of Georgia specifically. Trump has pled not guilty to all counts in all four cases, insisting the legal action against him is politically motivated.
Newsweek has contacted the White House and Donald Trump for comment, via email and online press inquiry form respectively.
House Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene also suggested the impeachment inquiry into Biden is linked to the action Trump faced in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Referring to McCarthy’s predecessor as speaker, she wrote: "Nancy Pelosi set a new precedent when she targeted President Trump.
Today, Speaker McCarthy opened an Impeachment Inquiry into Joe Biden.
“Now, our House committees will go to work using new tools to expose the crimes of the Biden family and investigate every person who helped cover it up. For as long as it takes to reveal the truth.”
A screenshot of this post was shared by the prominent liberal-leaning X account @JoJoFromJerz, which has over 890,000 followers. The user said: “She says the quiet part out loud. We’re doing this to Biden because the Democrats impeached Trump. The end.”
Trump is due to speak on Friday at two summits hosted respectively by Concerned Women of America and the Family Research Council, both Christian conservative groups, as he continues his campaign for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, whom polling indicates is his closest challenger, will also be appearing at both events.
What’s depressing is the doj is absolutely fucking hunter over because of these politics.
The charges would be like “pay the back taxes and a fine” and “okay. Plead out and we’ll give you probation” for almost anyone better off than a hobo.
I don’t have overflowing sympathy for Hunter. Dudes been a fuck up for a while.
It’s a huge whatever though, couldn’t care less if he got a plea deal or not.
individually, I could care less about hunter. he’s the son of a multimillionaire, and is a millionaire in his own right. I find I can tolerate his burdens quite well.
I’m more concerned about what the DOJ and republicans fucking him over in revenge for Biden and democrats trying to hold Trump responsible. Everyone should be held to the same standards- period. For taxes, the IRS’s normal MO is to settle- you pay the taxes, maybe some interest, and maybe a fine if you were particularly annoying. and that’s for everyone. For rich fucks, like hunter… it’s even more gratuitously laughable.
and the same goes for the gun charge. You plead out, you give up the firearm. you get a little probation, and maybe a fine.
The DOJ’s laughable excuse of “We’re trying to avoid an appearance of politicizing the DoJ” is in fact… politicizing the DoJ. The moment your behavior changes to avoid an appearance… that’s political… if it’s well meaning… you just went in the wrong direction, and I don’t assume the DoJ as “well meaning” here.
It just sucks because he’s getting a relatively “white glove” treatment compared to the usual drug war policies. Criminalization was always wrong and Joe Biden caused that in his actions in the Senate. If Joe Biden can learn empathy for drug addicts through his son I hope something good comes of it.
The drug war policies were never meant to go after rich white people- which is why crack had much harsher penalties than powder cocaine.
The taxes thing - yes, he had unpaid taxes. Which have since been paid. There was a plea deal that fell through, and that’s why the firearm charges appeared. Those charges were only brought against Hunter Biden because of his last name.
yup. they happened, though, and they’re “legitimate” even if they were only discovered because the DoJ is flacking for the Pubies.
Which is why Hunter Biden is being investigated for… holding a job… while Jared Kusner received 2 billion from the Saudis- while actively working in the whitehouse is not being charged with anything.
It is political- just not in the way the MAGA-Idiots think it is.
I think you mean the GOP Congress
The plea deal was fucked over by a trump appointed judge. Technically, sentencing is by the judge and they - technically- don’t have to abide the plea deal.
Which is why hunter Biden switched to pleading not guilty. The DoJ is kind of at fault here in large part because they should be the ones to go over the judges head in a “what the fuck” moment.
Basically, the DoJ is kinda going along with it, even though the judge is shitting on their plea deal. Judges aren’t supposed to do that even if they technically can… and they’re certainly not supposed to do that for political revenge on people who are legally a third party
The reason being, that if defendants have no reason to believe a judge would honor a plea deal- then the defendents have no reason to plead guilty- and that fucks over DoJ’s ability to flip criminals.
I’ll trade you 1 Hunter Biden for 1 Donny Trump