Hunter Biden found a lil’ loophole

Hunter Biden, the son of President Biden, defied House Republicans’ subpoena this morning, refusing to testify behind closed doors over his business dealings. The younger Biden has argued he is willing to testify publicly, so instead of completely ignoring the subpoena, he showed up in front of the U.S. Capitol to give a surprise statement, right after his deposition was scheduled to begin.

💡 Why this matters: House Republicans will very likely hold him in contempt of Congress, but this is one of the first times Americans have seen and heard from Hunter Biden directly. He spoke in personal termsabout his troubles with addiction and emphasized the support of his family. This was a very calculated maneuver politically.

What happens next?: The House is expected to vote today to formalize the impeachment inquiry into the president, giving more legal weight to their probe of Biden and his son.