President Biden denied being involved with his son Hunter Biden’s business dealings in China on Wednesday.
A reporter pressed Biden regarding recent reports that his son’s text messages indicated the president had been in the room with him while he was negotiating with another party.
“President Biden, how involved were you in your son’s Chinese shakedown text messages? Were you sitting there? Were you involved?” New York Post reporter Steven Nelson asked.
“No, I wasn’t, and I — no!” Biden shouted in response.
The denial relates to a text message from Hunter to Harvest Fund Management CEO Henry Zhao showing Hunter alleging he was with his father to pressure Zhao to satisfy a pledge.
“I am sitting here with my father, and we would like to understand why the commitment made has not been fulfilled,” Hunter wrote in the WhatsApp message to Zhao, according to the documents. “Tell the director that I would like to resolve this now before it gets out of hand, and now means tonight,” Hunter wrote.
“And, Z, if I get a call or text from anyone involved in this other than you, Zhang, or the chairman, I will make certain that between the man sitting next to me and every person he knows and my ability to forever hold a grudge that you will regret not following my direction,” Hunter said.
Whistleblower testimony relating to the investigation into Hunter came to light almost a year after reports surfaced on an alleged voicemail from President Biden to Hunter in which he purportedly discussed his son’s international business dealings.
“Hey pal, it’s Dad. It’s 8:15 on Wednesday night. If you have a chance, give me a call. Nothing urgent — I just wanted to talk with you,” Biden is heard saying in a voicemail from 2018. “I thought the article released online, it’s going to be printed tomorrow in the Times, was good. I think you’re clear.”
The Justice Department announced earlier this month that Hunter would plead guilty to two misdemeanor counts of willful failure to pay federal income tax as part of a deal expected to keep him out of prison.
The president’s son also agreed to enter into a pretrial diversion agreement concerning a separate charge of possession of a firearm by a person who is an unlawful user of or addicted to a controlled substance.
Fox News’ Joe Schoffstall contributed to this report.