GOP to seek Joe Biden's testimony in impeachment inquiry
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President Biden. Photo: Rebecca Noble/Getty Images.
House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer (R-Ky.) said Wednesday he plans to invite President Biden to testify as part of the panel's impeachment inquiry.
Why it matters: It's a long-shot attempt to salvage an impeachment inquiry that even Republicans are skeptical will result in an impeachment vote – and try to cast Biden in a negative light.
- Republicans have struggled to uncover solid evidence linking Biden to his son Hunter's business dealings, leading to internal opposition to impeachment within the GOP.
- Instead, the GOP-controlled committees have turned to flashy election-year hearings aimed at damaging the president's public image.
What he's saying: "In the coming days, I will invite President Biden to the Oversight Committee to provide his testimony," Comer said at the end of the committee's raucous Hunter Biden hearing.
- "I assure the American people that they will be able to evaluate for themselves the president's honesty and fitness for the office he now holds," Comer said.
Reality check: It's exceedingly rare for a sitting president to testify to Congress.
- It has happened just three times – in 1862, 1919 and finally in 1974, when Gerald Ford testified about his pardon of Richard Nixon, according to the U.S. Senate historian.
What they're saying: "Comer knows 20+ witnesses have testified that POTUS did nothing wrong," White House spokesperson Ian Sams said in a post on X.
- "He knows that the hundreds of thousands of pages of records he's received have refuted his false allegations. This is a sad stunt at the end of a dead impeachment. Call it a day, pal."
Zoom in: Ranking Member Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) asked if Comer "is going to invite Donald Trump" to testify about allegations he received millions in foreign emoluments as president.
- "You all have investigated Donald Trump for years," Comer shot back. "No one's investigated Joe Biden."
Editor's note: This article has been updated with comment from White House spokesperson Ian Sams.
