Comer Formally Invites President Biden to Testify in House Impeachment Probe

The Republican-led House Oversight Committee formally invited President Joe Biden to testify in its impeachment inquiry against him on Thursday.

Key Quote: In a letter to Biden, Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-KY) wrote that the inquiry had “accounted for over $24 million that has flowed from foreign sources to you, your family, and their business associates.”

For Context: Comer said last Wednesday that he planned to invite Biden to testify. The committee heard testimony from Hunter Biden on February 28, weeks after an ex-FBI informant whose testimony had informed much of the inquiry was charged with lying to the FBI.

How the Media Covered It: Coverage in partisan media echoed polarized attitudes on the continued relevance, or lack thereof, of the impeachment inquiry. Some headlines on the right highlighted accusations Republicans had made against the president’s family; Fox News (Right bias) noted Comer’s claim that the committee had “uncovered evidence that ‘wholly contradicts’” Biden’s denials. On the other hand, CBS News (Lean Left bias) highlighted that the GOP’s inquiry had “failed to deliver a smoking gun,” and HuffPost (Left bias) wrote that Republicans “getting mad” when Biden refuses to testify “may signal the death rattle of the impeachment effort.”