Biden claims GOP's bribery allegations are 'malarkey'
President Biden responds to a shouted question during a joint press conference with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
President Biden was scorched by commentators across Twitter on Thursday after he responded to a question about an alleged bribery scandal with a joke.
Biden has been under scrutiny for behavior that allegedly took place during his tenure as vice president under Barack Obama. House Oversight Committee members were approached by a whistleblower who said the FBI was in possession of a document in 2020 indicating Biden had been involved in a $5 million criminal bribery scheme with a foreign national in exchange for influence over policy decisions while vice president.
On Thursday, Biden was asked by a reporter for comment about how Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., a member of the House Oversight Committee investigating the president, had told Fox News Digital on Thursday there is "damning evidence the sitting President of the United States sold out his country in an ongoing bribery scheme."
Biden responded by asking, "Where's the money?" and then going on to say, "I'm joking. It's a bunch of malarkey."
Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., speaks to reporters following a closed-door GOP caucus meeting at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C, on Jan. 10, 2023. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
Mace, who reviewed the FD-1023 document an FBI whistleblower said proved Biden's participation in the alleged bribery scheme, said the evidence is "worse than has been reported so far."
While Biden may have joked about it during the press conference, many commentators on Twitter saw the alleged scandal as no laughing matter.
"It's easy to be this flippant towards serious corruption allegations when you know your team of left-wing partisans will protect you at both the Department of Justice and in the corporate media," Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, tweeted.
Journalist Kyle Becker gave a similarly grim prediction.
"Evidence of treason is hilarious, according to Joe Biden," he tweeted. "That's because he knows the corrupt corporate media will never take any Democrat scandals seriously."
Federalist senior legal correspondent Margot Cleveland wrote, "Whenever Biden says 'I'm not joking,' he's lying. Whenever he says, 'I'm joking,' he's telling the truth."
"Where there’s malarkey there’s fire?" editor at large for RealClearInvestigations Benjamin Weingarten tweeted.
"Bank records show the Biden family, their associates, and their companies received over $10 million from foreign nationals and their companies," the official GOP Twitter account tweeted.
Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., wrote, "When the Biden crime family went to mob school, they skipped out on money laundering class. They put the money in the 20 or so bank accounts and LLCs they created."
"To start, foreign nationals have sent $10 million to the Biden family, their associates, and their companies," GOP rapid response director Tommy Pigott tweeted. "Does he care to explain that?"
PJ Media columnist Ryan Ledendecker suggested, "This clip will age so wonderfully!"
President Biden laughs off a question about an alleged scandal during a press briefing.
Others shared more optimistic assessments that accountability is not only probable, but inevitable.
"Joe Biden just asked, ‘Where's the money’ when pressed on whether or not he sold out the country with his family's business deals. Joe, the money is hidden in the DOZENS of LLCs you & your family created to HIDE THE MONEY," Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., tweeted. "You can run, but you can't hide from House Republicans."
Rep. Mark Alford, R-Mo., declared, "Accountability is coming."
President Biden and first lady Jill Biden, joined by Hunter Biden and Ashley Biden, attend their granddaughter Maisy Biden's graduation from the University of Pennsylvania at Franklin Field in Philadelphia on May 15, 2023. (BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images)
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Conservative communicator Steve Guest reacted to the interchange by tweeting a quote often associated with the Hunter Biden laptop scandal, "REMINDER: 10% for the Big Guy!"
Fox News' Brandon Gillespie contributed to this report.
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