Political Farce

The Republicans are launching an impeachment investigation against President Joe Biden. But the evidence doesn’t warrant such action.

The U.S. government is on the verge of collapse if Congress fails to reach an agreement on the federal budget. However, instead of focusing on this important issue, Republicans in the House of Representatives are squandering their energy on an impeachment investigation against Joe Biden. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy instructed three committees to investigate possible corruption charges and ties connecting President Biden to his son Hunter’s business partners.

In fact, there is no proof whatsoever that Biden himself was involved in or benefited from anything related to his son. McCarthy was under great pressure from far-right conservatives who threatened to remove him if he refused to push the impeachment proceedings forward. So, the investigation into Biden is critical to McCarthy if he wants to keep his job.

As for House Republicans, the investigations are a chance to divert attention from their own problems, most notably Donald Trump’s legal affairs as well as their disagreement over the budget. Moreover, the investigation allows them to go on the offensive against Biden with a negative campaign before next year’s election.

The big problem with this strategy is that there is simply not enough evidence to justify an investigation. Apart from fleeting encounters with some of his son’s business partners, there is no evidence that Hunter Biden’s work influenced his father’s policies as vice president or that Biden himself enjoyed any personal advantage from his son’s business.

So in view of these facts, it is hardly surprising that several Republicans have already expressed doubts about the investigation. It is abundantly clear that the impeachment effort is not serious, but merely political theater.