During a White House meeting on the issue of hidden consumer costs, also known as “junk fees”, President Joe Biden responded rather acerbically to a reporter’s inquiry about his purported involvement in a bribery scheme. His testy retort raised questions among onlookers about the nature of the allegations and their potential impact on his administration.
In his opening remarks at the meeting, the President was queried, “Why did the Ukraine and FBI informant file refer to you as the ‘Big Guy,’ President Biden? Why is that term continuously applied?” His response, dismissing the question as “dumb,” caused a stir and subsequent media removal from the room.
This enigmatic moniker, “Big Guy”, traces its origins to a 2020 file, recently made available to congressional Republicans examining the Biden family’s financial affairs. The file reportedly contains allegations presented to the FBI by an informant, relating to Biden’s tenure as vice president. It appears that the term “big guy” was used to denote Joe Biden in a 2017 email discovered on his son Hunter Biden’s laptop, with corroborating usage by two of Hunter’s former business associates.
The recent event wasn’t the first time President Biden had faced probing questions on this topic. Only two days prior, he was queried about potential evidence of his acceptance of bribes. His reaction, turning around with a smile and a chuckle, all while remaining silent, was interpreted by some as evasion.
The President had previously shrugged off similar queries concerning the allegations under review by lawmakers, humorously questioning, “Where’s the money?”, and dismissing the accusations as “malarkey.”
However, this dismissal may be increasingly challenging in the face of allegations by Senator Chuck Grassley, who has claimed that an executive of a Ukrainian energy company who allegedly bribed the Bidens holds audio proof of their dealings. Grassley stated that the executive held 17 recordings as an “insurance policy,” potentially intended for future use.
As these allegations persist, it will be crucial to ensure a thorough and impartial investigation into the claims. It’s undeniable that the country and its leaders are best served by maintaining the highest levels of transparency, integrity, and accountability.
