MSNBC host details Biden team's effort to shut down interview after asking Hunter Biden question in 2023
MSNBC host Stephanie Ruhle said President Biden's team started "screaming and yelling" when she pressed the president on Hunter Biden's indictment during a 2023 interview.
MSNBC host Stephanie Ruhle described a moment during her interview with President Biden in May 2023 where his team attempted to shut down the interview right after she asked about how an indictment of his son, Hunter Biden, might affect his presidency.
"In the way of traditional media, the White House runs the show. When I interviewed President Biden, they gave me 10 minutes, OK? A politician can knock out one answer in 15 minutes," Ruhle told Lukas Thimm during an interview in early December. "At minute 9.5, I asked the president, ‘Your son, Hunter, might be indicted by your Department of Justice, how will this impact your presidency?’"
When the interview aired in May 2023, the Biden aides' interruption did not appear, but according to a transcript, as reported by Mediaite, there was "crosstalk" noted after the MSNBC host asked the initial question. Ruhle asked the president to repeat his answer, citing issues with audio, according to the transcript.
"A completely reasonable question. As soon as I said those words, President Biden's team waved in front of the camera, started screaming and yelling and stopped the interview." Ruhle continued. "Now that immediately went on, that's public record, that was in the transcript, that became its own story, and then they punished us."
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When the interview aired in May 2023, Ruhle asked about Hunter at the end of the interview, and the president is heard responding, "First of all, my son has done nothing wrong. I trust him. I have faith in him. It impacts my presidency by making me feel proud of him."
Prior to her asking about Hunter, MSNBC's footage does show his team trying to end the interview after Ruhle asked about hate crimes being on the rise, gun violence and more. Biden held his hand up and indicated he wanted to answer the question.
MSNBC did not appear to air the cross talk or the Biden team's efforts to stop the interview after Ruhle asked about the president's son.
The president notably complained that "negative" press coverage was to blame for his bad poll numbers during the interview.
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"All they've heard is negative news for three years. Everything is negative," Biden responded at the time. "I'm not being critical of the press, but you turn on the television – the only way you're going to get a hit is if there's something negative, you know. You don't – anyway, that's number one."
Ruhle also revealed during the interview that she had called President-elect Donald Trump before the election to try to get him to do an interview with them.
She said Trump declined, but she emphasized she was able to call the president-elect directly and said it was much different than with President Biden or Vice President Harris.
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