## Biden Team Activates Impeachment Defense Playbook
In response to House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s suggestion of a potential impeachment inquiry, President Joe Biden’s team has begun to implement a defense strategy they have been perfecting for over a year. The main objective for Biden’s team is to counter what many Democrats fear could become a narrative of self-dealing about the president, despite there being no evidence of wrongdoing thus far.
## Preemptive Strategy and Response
Biden’s aides spent the August congressional recess refining their plans, which they had been developing for months. They had been staffing up and gaming out possible scenarios, consulting veterans of past impeachments and determining the contours of their response.
On Wednesday evening, Biden made his first public comments on McCarthy’s impeachment inquiry, linking the inquiry to the upcoming showdown over government funding. Congress faces a September 30 deadline to keep the government open, and McCarthy is wrestling with deep divisions within his own party regarding how to deal with the matter.
## Impeachment Inquiry in a Fragile Political Moment
The impeachment inquiry comes at a critical political time for the president. Concerns about his age and reelection prospects have caused jitters in Democratic circles. Some allies have privately expressed concern about how intense attention on his son Hunter Biden could become a political and emotional liability.
However, Biden’s advisers believe the inquiry could potentially be used to their advantage. If Republicans are seen as overstepping in their claims or neglecting their governing responsibilities, it could shift the narrative in their favor. An impeachment inquiry would give Republicans broad new powers to request documents and testimony about the Bidens, consuming time and energy inside the White House.
## Public Perception and Potential Impact
Despite Republicans’ failure to produce direct evidence linking the president to his son’s foreign business dealings, some polls already show concern among voters. Sixty-one percent of Americans said in a [CNN poll](https://www.cnn.com/2023/09/07/politics/cnn-poll-joe-biden-headwinds/index.html) released last week they think Biden had at least some involvement in Hunter Biden’s business dealings, with 42% believing he acted illegally, and 18% saying his actions were unethical but not illegal.
For now, the White House views the situation as a communications issue rather than a legal one. They have yet to formally hear from any of the committees involved.
## Preparations and Messaging
As early as last summer, the White House began preparing for potential Republican investigations in the event of a GOP takeover in the House of Representatives. After McCarthy initiated the inquiry, the White House launched a strong messaging strategy emphasizing the lack of evidence so far linking the president to anything illegal.
The response strategy includes a series of cable news appearances, social media posts, and a letter from the White House to news executives urging them to intensify their scrutiny of House Republicans. Biden’s campaign also seized on the impeachment announcement, sending an email with Vice President Kamala Harris’ name telling supporters it was time to “stand behind our president” while criticizing House Republicans by name for launching the inquiry.
## Looking Ahead
Despite these preparations, impeachment-related steps are unwelcome for any White House. They tend to become all-consuming distractions, regardless of attempts to rise above or ignore them. The Biden White House has sought to separate its response operation from the ongoing work of the administration, including building a team of lawyers, legislative staff, and communications advisers to push back against a potential impeachment.
Meanwhile, Biden himself has yet to directly comment on McCarthy’s announcement, but he made implicit references to the possibility over the past months, suggesting it was an attempt to distract from an improving economy. The White House is committed to keeping him focused on his governing duties, including delivering a “major economic address” in Maryland and focusing on foreign policy with a trip to the annual United Nations meetings in New York next week.
This news report has been updated with additional developments on Wednesday.
Original Story at www.cnn.com – 2023-09-14 14:03:00