South Carolina Republican Representative Nancy Mace was widely criticized after she lashed out at Hunter Biden upon seeing that he'd shown up in the audience at his own contempt hearing before the House Oversight Committee.
Last month Hunter Biden issued a public statement in which he declared his refusal to comply with a subpoena issued by the GOP for a closed-door hearing and insisted he would testify publicly, which the chair of the committee, Rep. James Comer, had previously offered as an option.
Despite Hunter Biden's absence from the scheduled deposition following the subpoena, he delivered a public statement outside the Capitol insisting he was willing to testify in an open hearing, and criticizing House Republicans for their continued investigations into him and his family, part of a concerted effort to impeach his father, President Joe Biden.
The panel was marking up a resolution to hold Hunter Biden in contempt of Congress when Mace confronted Hunter Biden's presence, alleging bribery and calling him out for defying the congressional subpoena.
You can hear what she said in the video below.
Mace accused Biden of embodying "white privilege" and challenged his reluctance to comply with the deposition despite his offering to testify publicly and despite his showing up at the hearing:
“My first question is who bribed Hunter Biden to be here today? That’s my first question. Second question, you are the epitome of white privilege."
"Coming into the Oversight Committee, spitting in our face, ignoring a Congressional subpoena to be deposed. What are you afraid of? You have no balls to come up here."
Considering it's Republicans who refuse to put Biden on the stand in a public hearing, it's clear to most observers that they're the ones who are afraid, not him.
As the confrontation unfolded, the room became chaotic, with multiple interruptions from both sides but Mace's pursuit of the younger Biden continued, saying he “should be arrested right here, right now, and go straight to jail." Mace further admonished him, saying that the United States "is founded on the rule of law and the premise that the law applies equally to everyone no matter what your last name is."
She added:
“It does not matter who you are, where you come from or who your father is or your last name. Yes, I’m looking at you Hunter Biden as I’m speaking to you: you are not above the law at all."
“Hunter Biden broke the law. He did so deliberately, you did so flagrantly, you showed up on the hill on the senate side the day of that congressional subpoena to defy it and spit in the face of this committee. That’s what you did."
“The question the American people are asking us is what is Hunter Biden so afraid of? Why can’t you show up for a Congressional deposition? You’re here for a political stunt."
"This is just a PR stunt to you, this is just a game you are playing with the American people. You’re playing with the truth.”
"You play stupid games, you win stupid prizes.”
Mace, who has staunchly defended former President Donald Trump on more than one occasion amid her support for unsubstantiated claims about the Biden family, was swiftly called out.
The younger Biden's assertion that his father had no financial involvement in his business and his offer to testify publicly didn't align with Republicans' insistence on a private deposition first.
Following the dramatic exchange, Abbe Lowell, Hunter Biden's attorney, criticized Republicans for using Biden as a means to attack his father, emphasizing Biden's willingness to answer questions publicly. Lowell highlighted the GOP's actions as "unprecedented" and questioned their motives behind pursuing contempt charges against Biden.
Lowell said Republicans are "commandeering" the resolution "to hold someone in contempt who has offered to publicly answer all their proper questions."
