CNN’s Tapper: Biden Has at Least ‘Been Letting’ His Family Profit off Their Relationship with Him

During an interview with Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-FL) on Wednesday’s broadcast of CNN’s “The Lead,” host Jake Tapper noted that President Joe Biden’s “brothers and his son have been making millions of dollars, profiting off their relationship to him” and “he’s been letting them do it.”

Moskowitz said, “We know that he was on the phone one time or he had dinner one time and what Republicans have done is say, see, there’s the evidence, he was in the room, he was at dinner, he was on the phone, he spoke to his son. But there has been no evidence at all, zero.”

Tapper then said, “So, let me posit that, for the sake of argument, that you are correct in what you’re saying. Does Joe Biden not bear any responsibility for the fact that his brothers and his son have been making millions of dollars, profiting off their relationship to him, being lobbyists and advisers and this and that because of him? Is that not — I understand people in this town do that and their relatives do it, but he’s been letting them do it.”

After Moskowitz stated that if Biden did something unlawful, he should be prosecuted, and “as far as the culture in Washington, the revolving door in Congress, the revolving door in the Pentagon, being able to make money off family members, listen, that may be something that Democrats and Republicans should address on a bipartisan basis. But we can’t just say, oh, Joe Biden’s family did it, but they don’t want to ask any questions about Jared Kushner getting $2 billion from the Saudis, who they blame for 9/11.”

Tapper then stated, “Right, so, but that’s the whole thing, that people always say about in Washington, the real ‘crime,’ is not what’s illegal, but what’s legal, right? It’s perfectly legal to be the son of a very powerful person and traffic in that connection.”

Moskowitz responded, “Listen, I’ll vote for term limits. I’ll vote to close the revolving door. The Republicans won’t even bring those bills to the floor, but yet, they want to go after Joe Biden for stuff that’s been going on in Washington, D.C. for half a century.”

Tapper then said, “Right. But that’s my point, could he not have done something — I understand that it’s legal.”

Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett