Recent discussions in political and media circles have reignited scrutiny over how major news outlets covered stories related to President Joe Biden and his son, Hunter Biden, during the 2020 campaign and early years of the Biden presidency. Some observers are now raising concerns about whether key issues—ranging from Hunter Biden’s business dealings to the president’s health—received balanced and timely media attention.
According to a report from Fox News, questions about Hunter Biden’s finances, particularly regarding his work with the Ukrainian energy company Burisma, first surfaced during the 2019 Democratic primary. At that time, Joe Biden was seen as a frontrunner for the nomination. Former Politico reporter Marc Caputo recently said on the “Somebody’s Gotta Win” podcast that he had drafted a story connecting Hunter’s alleged tax challenges to his Burisma role. Caputo claimed the piece was unexpectedly shelved by editors, which he believes was part of a broader pattern of cautious editorial decisions regarding potentially sensitive stories.
The debate intensified in October 2020 when the New York Post published its now-famous report based on a laptop said to belong to Hunter Biden. The report included emails suggesting overseas business connections and raised questions about potential conflicts of interest. However, major outlets were slow to cover the story. An open letter signed by 51 former intelligence officials suggested the laptop bore signs of a possible foreign influence operation. Then-candidate Biden referenced this letter during a televised debate to challenge the credibility of the allegations.
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