WATCH: White House says Biden 'proud' of Hunter despite mounting legal issues, subpoena defiance
The White House says President Biden and his wife are "proud" of their son Hunter despite the mounting legal issues he faces, as well as his decision to defy a congressional subpoena.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Wednesday that President Biden and first lady Jill Biden were "proud" of their son, Hunter, despite his defiance of a subpoena to testify before Congress and his mounting legal issues.
"When it comes to the president and the first lady, they are proud of him continuing to rebuild his life. They are proud of their son," Jean-Pierre said when asked during the White House press briefing whether Biden had watched Hunter's press conference outside the U.S. Capitol earlier in the day announcing his decision not to comply with the subpoena issued by House Republicans.
"The president was certainly familiar with what his son was going to say. And I think what you saw was from the heart, from his son," she added.
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When asked if Biden was okay with Hunter defying the subpoena, Jean-Pierre refused to "get into the specifics" surrounding the president's view.
She also wouldn't say the last time Biden and Hunter had spoken, noting those were "private" conversations.
Jean-Pierre was later pressed on Biden previously stating that people who defied congressional subpoenas should be prosecuted, comments he made in 2021 amid a probe into the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol, but she declined to comment.
"I don't have anything to add to what you have, what you just quoted me from the president. I just don't have anything to add," she said.
At his press conference Wednesday morning, Hunter offered to testify publicly before the House Oversight Committee, but declined to show for his scheduled closed-door deposition for which he was subpoenaed.
He maintained that his father "was not financially involved" in the business dealings for which House Republicans are investigating him, and said there was "no evidence because it did not happen."
In his statement, Hunter blasted "MAGA" Republicans who he said "invaded" his privacy, "attacked" his family and "ridiculed my struggle with addiction."
Hunter is also facing a number of federal charges in California after being indicted last week.
The nine charges allege a "four-year scheme" when he did not pay his federal income taxes from January 2017 to October 2020 while also filing false tax reports.
Fox News' Brooke Singman contributed to this report.
