Republicans and Democrats Clash at First Biden Impeachment Inquiry Hearing
Summary from the AllSides News Team
The Republican-controlled House Oversight Committee held a reportedly “chaotic” first hearing in the impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden on Thursday.
Wall or No Wall: Committee Chairman James Comer (R-KY) said “there was no wall” between then-Vice President Joe Biden and alleged foreign influence peddling by members of his family, particularly his son Hunter. House Republicans laid out their evidence of a “scheme” that allegedly “brought in over $15 million.”
“Waste of Time”: House Democrats criticized the hearing as a distraction from the impending Saturday night government shutdown deadline. At one point, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) accused Republicans of presenting a “fabricated image” of a text message.
Key Quote: Lawmakers questioned Jonathan Turley, a George Washington University law professor who opposed former President Donald Trump’s first impeachment. Turley said that while “I do not believe that the current evidence would support articles of impeachment,” he did believe the inquiry was warranted to “answer troubling questions.”
How the Media Covered It: Left-rated outlets tended to feature a speech by Biden more prominently on homepages and often covered Turley’s remarks, framing them as refuting Republicans’ claims. Coverage from mainstream Lean Left outlets often specifically said there was “no evidence” directly tying Biden to a crime. Coverage from the right, on the other hand, tended to frame Republican accusations as straightforward and warranted.
Featured Coverage of this Story
From the Center
House Republicans short on evidence to impeach Biden, witnesses tell panel
House Republicans do not have enough evidence yet to justify an impeachment of President Joe Biden, two legal scholars told a congressional panel Thursday as lawmakers sparred over the basis for the GOP-led impeachment investigation.
The first hearing on the high-profile probe quickly devolved into a partisan tit for tat at the House Oversight and Accountability Committee, as Republicans outlined the basis for their investigation while Democrats dismissed the inquiry as baseless.
House Republicans, in describing the basis for the probe, point to an accusation that the president’s son Hunter Biden was selling the...
From the Left
Takeaways from President Biden’s first impeachment hearing by House Oversight panel
House Republicans kicked off their first impeachment inquiry hearing Thursday laying out the allegations they will pursue against President Joe Biden, though their expert witnesses acknowledged Republicans don’t yet have the evidence to prove the accusation they’re leveling.
Thursday’s hearing in the House Oversight Committee didn’t include witnesses who could speak directly to Hunter Biden’s foreign business dealing at the center of the inquiry, but the hearing offered Republicans the chance to show some of the evidence they’ve uncovered to date.
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From the Right
Scale of Alleged Biden Foreign Influence Peddling Unprecedented in History of D.C. Corruption, Impeachment Witness Testifies
George Washington University law professor Jonathan Turley, testifying during the first House impeachment inquiry hearing into President Joe Biden, said Thursday that while Washington, D.C., is “awash” with influence peddling, the “size and complexity” of the allegations against Biden and his family are unprecedented.
House leaders, he said, have a “duty” to determine if the president was involved in a pay-to-play scheme.
Turley was one of four witnesses — three Republicans and one Democrat — who testified during the hearing. None of the people who testified were direct fact witnesses to any...
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