White House Spokesman Left Speechless After Being Asked About Whether Biden Is ‘Corrupt’

National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby speaks during the press briefing at the White House in Washington on May 31, 2023. Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times

John Kirby, National Security Council coordinator for strategic communications, denied reports and polling that show a majority of Americans think President Joe Biden is corrupt.

A reporter asked Kirby about whether the White House has a response to a Harvard-Harris poll that found 53 percent of Americans believe Biden “was involved with his son in an illegal influence peddling scheme.”

“What do you say to the majority of Americans who believe that the president is himself corrupt?” the reporter—the New York Post’s Steven Nelson—asked Kirby on Wednesday during a briefing. “Wow,” Kirby replied as he looked on in disbelief about the question that was asked. Kirby then took a lengthy pause before saying that “there’s nothing to these claims.”

“There’s, of course, evidence that the President interacted with his relative’s associates from China, Mexico, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Ukraine. So what do you say to the majority of Americans who believe that the President is himself corrupt?” Nelson also asked.

Standing off-camera near Kirby, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre appeared to say, “Jesus,” as a sign of exasperation. However, Jean-Pierre’s remark wasn’t listed on the official transcript, according to the White House.

“The president has spoken to this and there’s nothing to these claims,” Kirby said. “And as for the whistleblower issue that you talked about and in the document—I believe the FBI has spoken to that, and you’re going to have to go to them on that.”

After the question was asked, Jean-Pierre then wrapped up the press briefing, telling Kirby and others: “Let’s go. Let’s go.”

“Thank you so much, admiral. Appreciate your time. He spent about ... 40 minutes out here, so we try to get to as many people as possible,” she said, according to the White House official transcript.

The Harvard poll in question, published in May, found that a majority of Americans “think Joe Biden was involved with his son in an illegal influence peddling scheme while he was Vice President.” Of that figure, about a quarter of Democratic voters also believe the same.

Over the years, Biden has been accused of profiting from his son Hunter’s overseas business deals in China, Ukraine, and other countries, while Republicans have extensively investigated a range of financial transactions and data sourced from the younger Biden’s laptop. The president has repeatedly denied those allegations, again doing so when Iris Tao, a reporter with The Epoch Times sister media NTD News, asked the president in March about whether his family received cash from a Chinese state-run firm.

On Wednesday, House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) stated that the FBI has confirmed the existence of a document that alleges Biden was involved in what he described as a “criminal bribery scheme” when he was vice president.

“During today’s call, Director Wray offered to provide the Committee’s Chairman and Ranking Member an opportunity to review information responsive to the subpoena in a secure manner to accommodate the committee, while protecting the confidentiality and safety of sources and important investigative sensitivities," an FBI spokesperson told media outlets on Wednesday about the investigation.

“The FBI has continually demonstrated its commitment to working with the Committee to accommodate its request, from scheduling briefings and calls to now allowing the Chair to review information in person. The FBI remains committed to cooperating with the Committee in good faith,” the statement continued.