Even MSNBC Isn’t Buying Hunter’s Capitol Hill Song-And-Dance: ‘Dramatic Public Relations Effort’

Hunter Biden’s public statement on Wednesday may have been designed to sway public sentiment in his favor, but according to at least one MSNBC guest, his “dramatic public relations effort” may not have the desired impact.

NBC News’ Capitol Hill correspondent Ryan Nobles spoke with anchor Ana Cabrera after the younger Biden — who was supposed to appear Wednesday for a closed-door deposition — defied a congressional subpoena and instead stood just outside the House Sergeant-at-Arms’ reach and gave a press conference.

“I think it was very telling, just the fact that he wouldn’t cross over into the House side of the Capitol,” Rep. Mike Collins (R-GA) told The New York Post. “If he had, the Sergeant at Arms could have arrested him and made him come and be in front of the committee.”

Biden stood on the Senate side of the Capitol and complained that Republicans were mocking his addiction and recovery, and attacking him for political purposes. He then left the Capitol grounds without complying with the subpoena, prompting Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) to say that the House would pursue contempt charges against him.

“There’s no doubt that this was a pretty dramatic public relations effort by Hunter Biden to show that he was here and ready to answer questions from the Oversight Committee and their investigation into his father and his business dealings and whether or not the two are connected,” Nobles told Cabrera after Biden’s appearance.

“But to be clear, that’s not what the committee was looking for today. They had asked him to appear under subpoena in a closed-door deposition to answer their questions about his business dealings and whether or not they connect to his father,” Nobles continued. “And they said at some point later they would be willing to allow him to testify publicly.”

“And so this was an effort by Hunter Biden to show that he has nothing to hide, that he’s willing to answer those questions,” he said. “But it’s probably not going to move House Republicans who, as you rightly point out, are prepared to vote on an impeachment inquiry later today and have said that if Hunter Biden did not appear for that deposition, which was taking place in a completely different part of the Capitol campus than where I’m standing right now, that they would be prepared to move to contempt of Congress charges against him.”

Reps. Jordan and James Comer (R-KY) addressed Biden’s remarks after he left Capitol Hill as well, disputing his characterization of the investigation and pointing out how Hunter Biden’s story had changed over time with regard to how involved his father, President Joe Biden, may have been with his questionable foreign business dealings.

“We’ve never mocked his addiction,” Comer said.

Jordan pointed to something Biden said in his press conference — namely that his father had not had any “financial” involvement in his business dealings — noting that it was a long jump from his initial claims that his father had never been involved at all in his business.