Journalists Reveal How Far Media Went To Cover For Joe, Hunter Biden

The extent of media suppression surrounding former President Joe Biden’s cognitive decline and his son Hunter Biden’s legal troubles is now coming to light. Critics have long accused mainstream news outlets of shielding the 46th president from negative press, particularly regarding his family’s financial dealings and his cognitive struggles. These issues became increasingly apparent during last year’s CNN debate and ultimately contributed to Biden’s withdrawal from the 2024 presidential race, as noted in a report by Fox News.

Reports suggest that efforts to downplay concerns about Biden date back to May 2019, during the Democratic primary race for the 2020 presidential election. Former Politico reporter Marc Caputo recently disclosed that a story he wrote at the time, based on opposition research from Biden’s Democratic rivals, was buried by his editors without explanation. The report focused on a tax lien against Hunter Biden related to his role at the Ukrainian energy company Burisma. At the time, Joe Biden was leading the Democratic field in the polls.

Caputo, speaking on the “Somebody’s Gotta Win” podcast, stated, “I wrote what would have been a straightforward story about the former vice president’s son facing a significant tax lien tied to his work with a controversial Ukrainian energy firm. But the story was killed with no reason given.”

By October 2020, Biden had secured the Democratic nomination and was in a tight race against then-President Donald Trump. The New York Post published a bombshell report about Hunter Biden’s laptop, revealing extensive details about his foreign financial dealings and possible links to his father. However, major news outlets largely ignored the story. Caputo recalled that when he approached his editor at Politico about covering the laptop controversy, he was instructed not to write about it, tweet about it, or discuss it publicly. The only Politico report on the matter featured the misleading headline, “Hunter Biden story is Russian disinfo, dozens of former intel officials say.”

This report echoed an open letter signed by 51 former intelligence officials, who suggested that the laptop bore “all the earmarks of a Russian intelligence operation.” Joe Biden referenced this letter during a debate with Trump, dismissing the allegations as a “Russian plant.”

Politico was not alone in its reluctance to cover the laptop story. A leaked audio recording obtained by Project Veritas revealed that CNN executives directed their staff to avoid reporting on it. CNN political director David Chalian was heard saying during an October 14, 2020, conference call, “We’re not going with the New York Post story right now on Hunter Biden.”

Former Politico journalist Tara Palmeri, who covered Hunter Biden’s gun-related legal troubles, also described how her reporting faced delays. Despite gathering extensive evidence, including police reports, her story took months to be published. “I just think if it was a Trump kid, it would have been published much sooner,” she remarked.

Beyond shielding Biden from scrutiny over his family’s financial dealings, the media also downplayed concerns about his health. The Wall Street Journal reported that as early as spring 2021, White House staff noticed that Biden had “good days and bad days.” Officials observed that he became fatigued during lengthy meetings and made frequent mistakes. Other journalists privately admitted to Fox News that they saw signs of Biden’s physical and mental decline early in his presidency, noting his stiffness and brief, seemingly coached responses to questions.

These revelations highlight the extent of media bias in protecting Biden from scrutiny, raising concerns about journalistic integrity and transparency in political reporting.