Below is my column in the New York Post on what a flipping of either (or both) houses might bring for President Joe Biden. While the President has cited his own impeachment as the danger of such a change, it may be the least of his worries. As we wait for the final tally on seats in both houses, here are three areas that represent a more serious threat to the President than removal from office.
Here is the column:
In the movie “The Longest Day,” Maj. Werner Pluskat tried to warn his superior about the approaching armada that he was seeing on the horizon. His superior asks where they are heading, and Pluskat responds, “Straight for me!”
In the days before the midterm “D-Day,” President Joe Biden increasingly sounded like Pluskat. Last Thursday, Biden warned supporters that the Republicans have made clear “they’re gonna impeach me.” When Biden warned that he might be impeached if voters do not stop a Republican wave, there was an audible laugh which prompted the President to added “No, I’m not joking.”
While Biden may or may not be the subject of an impeachment, a Republican-controlled House has plenty to investigate, and impeachment is unlikely his greatest fear.
Here are the top three concerns, and there is every indication that Biden is wise to be worried.
Hunter Biden and Influence Peddling
House Democrats repeatedly moved to block investigations into the alleged multimillion-dollar influence-peddling operations by the Biden family. For his part, Attorney General Merrick Garland steadfastly refused to appoint a special counsel despite an overwhelming basis for such an appointment.
Biden has repeatedly denied knowledge of Hunter Biden’s business entanglements despite numerous emails and pictures showing him meeting with Hunter associates. Hunter’s partner, Eric Schwerin, alone made at least 19 visits to the White House and other official locations between 2009 and 2015.
There are emails of Chinese, Ukrainian and other foreign clients including some thanking Hunter Biden for arranging meetings with his father. People apparently were told to avoid directly referring to Joe Biden. In one email, Tony Bobulinski, then a business partner of Hunter, was instructed by Biden associate James Gilliar that the Bidens wanted to avoid such references: “Don’t mention Joe being involved, it’s only when u [sic] are face to face, I know u [sic] know that but they are paranoid.”
Instead, the emails refer to Joe Biden with code names such as “Celtic” or “the big guy.” In one, “the big guy” is discussed as possibly receiving a 10% cut on a deal with a Chinese energy firm; other emails reportedly refer to Hunter Biden paying portions of his father’s expenses and taxes.
An investigation into the alleged influence peddling by Hunter, his uncle James and his father could reveal additional information of how foreign interests pumped millions into the Biden family. As we learn more of this influence-peddling operation, the FBI may face increased questions over its response to the allegations as well as many in the media, who were actively involved in burying the story before and after the election.
Social Media and Censorship-by-Surrogate
The president has at times acted as a virtual censor-in-chief, denouncing social-media companies for “killing people” by not censoring enough. Recently, he expressed doubt that the public can “know the truth” without such censorship by “editors” in Big Tech. There is growing evidence of long-suspected back channels between government and Democratic political figures and Big Tech. Some of those contacts were recently confirmed but Congress again refused to investigate.
If officials coordinated the censorship of citizens, it could lead to lawsuits (in addition to already pending actions) and embarrassing disclosures. The government cannot do indirectly what it is barred from doing directly. The investigation could produce considerable collateral damage for political and media figures alike.
Pandemic politics and policies
Republicans have pledged to open a full investigation into what officials knew about the origins and risks of COVID-19. Specifically, members like Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) have pledged to uncover material showing what officials like Dr. Anthony Fauci knew about the lack of efficacy of masks as well as guidelines on limiting groups or the closure of businesses and schools. These investigations might also reveal the coordination of health-care guidelines with teacher unions and political allies.
These investigations could eventually be linked in critical ways. For example, many of those who questioned the efficacy and cost of the massive lockdown were barred on social media (and attacked in the mainstream media). Fauci is accused of quickly scuttling such discussion, and critics point to his own alleged approval of gain-of-function research at the Wuhan lab.
These investigations could also present a serious challenge to Attorney General Garland. Not only will the Hunter Biden investigation shed light on his inexplicable opposition to a special counsel, but Garland has been very aggressive in prosecuting contempt of Congress against Trump officials. He may now face contempt referrals from a new Republican-controlled House and will be asked to show the same aggression against Biden officials or associates.
It is not clear whether Biden’s more personal existential plea moved the needle for voters, but it was arguably his most honest pitch as he contemplated the perilous future if either house flipped to the GOP.
“There are other ways for inflation to be tamed . . . the CHIPS Act . . . The Inflation Reduction Act . . .”
That brilliant.
First the Left exacerbates inflation by flooding the market with fiat money, to pay for its welfare programs. Then it offers as a “solution” to inflation more fiat money, to pay for more welfare programs.
Next up: The cure for a broken leg is to break your other leg.
After the Republicans take the House in a couple of months, the partisan fighting will, hopefully, rachet up a few notches. Hopefully, because the only thing worse than intense, vicious, partisan politics in DC is the politics of agreement. When you don’t hear Republicans and Democrats arguing, there is a good chance they are making pork-laden deals that, even more than usual, will help no one but themselves and their cronies.
When the Republicans own the Gavel and Committee Charimanships in both Houses of Congress the Biden Crime Syndicate has much to fear….as does the Democrat Party that shielded it from investigation for two Years.
From that one thing flows enough bad information to scuttle any hope of the Biden Syndicate, DOJ,FBI, IRS and most importantly Big Tech and the Media to survive as they are today.
The Republicans must get out the actual Laser Light and not just use the words and shine the brightest light possible on the real “roaches” and force them to scurry away from it to what they think might be a safe hiding place.
The Impeachments should start at the lower levels and work up the chain and demonstrate to the American People how utterly corrupt the radical Democrats running the government really were and are.
The Republicans should let the Democrats deal with the specter of “that” Joe Biden run for Office in 2024.
The Republicans have their very own problem…..Donald Trump….to deal with.
The one absolutely patently plain result from this Mid-Term Election is Trump’s time chances of winning election are over as DeSantis is more the right candidate for every reason than Trump and does not. have the super-ego and excess baggage of Trump.
DeSantis is the next President of the United States if McConnell and the establishment Republicans along with Trump can be sent packing and will run on the dinner table issues and show in the next two years they as a Party are dedicated to actually governing in a moral, ethical, and transparent manner…..something the Democrats just cannot do.
Just thinking, it’s a good thing fetus’s can’t vote.
Ind. Bob……..Indeed….IMO they were the reason the Red Wave didn’t happen. I feel sick thinking about it.
It looks like the dims will ask the big guy to step down and have John Fetterman be their standard bearer for president. We’ll be in good hands.
The inquisitors in the House, which will certainly flip Republican, are much more aggressive than those in the Senate. Not good for the Biden Crime Family.
Dear Prof Turley,
I detest American partisan politics down to my bones. It hurts my brain and casts a dark shadow over my heart. I propose, before it’s too late, a constitutional amendment banning the Democrat and Republican parties from participation in Amercian elections .. . they’ve done enough damage.
*re. President Biden’s 3 most imminent worries/concerns with a GOP congress:
~ “Hunter Biden and Influence Peddling” Please. All perfectly legal, Im sure. As American as apple pie. .. besides, what about Ivanka/Jared etc., etc.?
~ “Social Media and Censorship-by-Surrogate” Say it ain’t so Joe! I think we can all rest assured that – Social Media and Censorship-by-Surrogate – is going to continue regardless of party who hold the ‘reins of power’ See e.g. war in UKRAINE. bigtime.
~”Pandemic politics and policies” I read every dense paper written by the ‘bat lady’ of China, Shengliz Lee, Chief Virologist @ Wuhan Labs, am fully Vaxxed .. . and still got the Covid. (my view is if it jumped species – bat or pangolin or whatever – they would have found the critter by now.)
p.s. who won elections?
Compare McConnell, who funded the campaigns of Trumpy candidates who vowed to oust him as leader of the Republican caucus, with Trump, who refused to fund any of them, and, like a James Bond villain, threw his slavish minions under the bus when they failed.
There are the Democrats with their squabbling factions, there are the Republicans with their squabbling factions, and there’s the party of Trump, a bizarre cult of personality in which no dissent or questioning is tolerated. Not from within and not from without.
The Trump monkey Apostle, and His MAGA hat minions, are Not a ‘cult’. He’s teaching Prosperity Gospels at a Mega Church. .. in my neck of the woods.
*”There are no Blue states. There are no Red states. There is only the United States” ~ Obama peak
Brutal
🤣
“Unfortunately for Stacey Abrams, money can’t buy happiness … or elections”
– Danielle Repass, a spokeswoman for the Georgia Republican Party
Prof Turley’s thoughts on “Biden’s inner Pluskat” helped explain a lot for me except those are not American warships Biden’s inner Pluskat is looking at .. . they’re Russian, maybe Chinese, N. Korean, India, Brics, Opec+, etc., etc.