In yesterday’s White House press briefing, there was an extraordinary moment when White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre refused to discuss a 2018 voicemail from President Biden that showed that the President lied repeatedly in denying ever speaking with Hunter Biden about his foreign business dealings. Jean-Pierre refused to answer a question from Fox News’ Peter Doocy and then refused again to answer a question from RealClearPolitics reporter Philip Wegmann. The rest of the press seemed content with an answer that was not just openly evasive but contemptful of the press.  It is continuing evidence of the success of the Biden campaign to get the media to maintain a false narrative that they helped create during the campaign.

As previously discussed, the recording clearly proves that President Biden has lied about his knowledge of these dealings. The audiotape of the President concerned a Times report on Dec. 12, 2018 detailing Hunter’s dealings with Ye Jianming, the head of CEFC China Energy Company. Ye was later arrested amid allegations of economic crimes.  Biden associates reportedly worked on the Times to change aspects of the story and President Biden appears to view that effort as successful.

The plan with the Bidens (which included Joe Biden’s brother) specified a proposed 10 percent share for Hunter for “the big guy.” According to Biden associate Tony Bobulinksi, that was a reference to Joe Biden.

The voicemail, discovered on Hunter’s discarded laptop, reveals that Joe Biden was following the stories of his son’s alleged influence peddling and specifically his Chinese dealings. In his message, Biden tells Hunter,

“Hey pal, it’s Dad. It’s 8:15 on Wednesday night. If you get a chance, just give me a call. Nothing urgent. I just wanted to talk to you. I thought the article released online, it’s going to be printed tomorrow in the Times, was good. I think you’re clear. And anyway if you get a chance, give me a call, I love you.”

Some of us have written for two years that Biden’s denial of knowledge is patently false. Indeed, it is baffling how Attorney General Garland can ignore the myriad of references to Joe Biden in refusing to appoint a special counsel.

Doocy asked the obvious question now that we have an actual audiotape of the President: “Why is there a voicemail of the president talking to his son about his overseas business dealings if the president has said he’s never spoken to his son about his overseas business dealings?”

Despite clearly contradicting the President, Jean-Pierre declared “Well, first I’ll say that what the president said stands. So if he — that’s what the president said, that is what stands.” Such an absurd response is only possible when you know that most of the media will go along with the evasion.

Doocy followed up “He’s leaving a voicemail about a New York Times article concerning Hunter Biden’s business dealings and he says, ‘I think you’re clear.’ How is that not him talking to his son about his overseas business dealings?”

Jean-Pierre then dismissed further questions, saying “We’re not, from this podium — I’m not going to talk about alleged materials from the laptop.”  When pressed again, she said  “I am not going to talk about alleged materials from the laptop. Peter, I refer you to his son’s representatives.”

She repeated that position with Wegmann who appeared the only other journalist even remotely interested in whether the President lied repeatedly about an influence peddling scheme run by his son.

Notably, neither reporter was looking for a response from Hunter or their representative. The tape captured President Biden’s voice not Hunter’s voice. Indeed, Hunter previously contradicted his own father and said that he did discuss dealings with his father.

There is no plausible reason why the President would not be willing to answer a question about his own statement captured on audiotape. He is not denying that it is his voice, which appears obvious. He simply will not answer a question about whether he lied during the campaign and repeatedly as president.

Again, this is only possible when you have the media in your pocket. Could you imagine if this was Trump caught on a tape and refusing to answer a question about the content. For example, the media has Trump’s call to Georgia officials on a virtual continual coverage loop.

I previously wrote a column on the one year anniversary of the Hunter Biden laptop story that marveled at the success of the Biden family in making the scandal vanish before that 2020 election. It was analogized to Houdini making his 10,000-pound elephant Jennie disappear in his act. The Biden trick however occurred live before an audience of millions. The value of involving the media in the original trick is that it invests reporters in the illusion. It is like calling audience members to the stage to assist in the performance. Reporters have to insist that there was nothing to see or they have to admit to being part of the deception.

The problem is that the media is now obviously concerned that the Democrats could lose the White House as well as Congress. They have begun to openly criticize Biden and even press him to clear the path for a successor. While recognizing the false narrative will be embarrassing, the Biden White House may be faced with a media more concerned with a possible GOP win in the coming elections. The risk is that journalists may decide to see the elephant.