Hunter Biden defends overseas work in interview, but expresses regret
SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) U.S. PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP, SAYING:
"I said, where's Hunter? It became, like, the hottest thing in the whole country. I just said, by the way, where's Hunter?"
After months of political attacks, and facing presidential tweets like "Where's hunter? Where's Hunter? The Biden family was paid off!," the son of former Vice President Joe Biden broke his silence on Tuesday.
In an interview with ABC's Good Morning America, Hunter Biden defended his overseas work, but expressed regret over how it has been used to bludgeon his father.
Saying, "I’m a human. Did I make a mistake? Well, maybe in the grand scheme of things, yeah. But did I make a mistake based upon some ethical lapse? Absolutely not."
Biden’s son finds himself at the center of perhaps the largest scandal confronting President Trump. Trump’s efforts to get officials in Ukraine to investigate Hunter Biden's involvement with a Ukrainian energy company have sparked an impeachment inquiry.
Democrats want to know if Trump withheld aid to Ukraine to pressure Kiev to probe into the Bidens for his own political gain. Former VP Biden says this follows a pattern.
SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) FORMER VICE PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN, SAYING:
"Now let's focus on the problem. The problem is we have a president who violated his oath. He's invited, not just relating to me, on three occasions he's gone to foreign governments and asked for their input and a domestic election, the Russians, the Chinese and the Ukrainians. And there's not a single shred of evidence to suggest anything I did was wrong."
Trump, whose family business owns hotels in foreign countries, and whose DC hotel often hosts foreign dignitaries, has also accused Hunter Biden, without evidence, of using his father's influence to help secure Chinese backing for his investments, and has publicly called on Beijing to investigate him.
The young Biden acknowledged to ABC that his last name did provide him with opportunities, but that he "did nothing wrong at all."
On Sunday Hunter Biden said through a lawyer he was stepping down from the board of the Chinese company that has been the subject of criticism from Trump and his allies. He also said he would not work for a foreign-owned company if his father were elected president in 2020.
As for Hunter Biden's interview, Trump declared on Twitter that "Hunter Biden was really bad on @GMA"
