FBI Director Christopher Wray went before the House Judiciary Committee for a Wednesday hearing on oversight of his bureau. Among the many charged and memorable moments involved an exchange between Wray and Rep. Wesley Hunt (R-TX), who mentioned the “terribly ironic” difference between how President Joe Biden and his most likely Republican rival for 2024, former and potentially future President Donald Trump are treated.
The differences, as explained by the congressman, go deep. Both Trump and Biden have been investigated for their handling of classified documents. “President Trump is facing over 400 years in prison for allegedly being in possession of classified documents he obtained as the Commander in Chief of these United States of America. And meanwhile,” Hunt pointed out, “President Biden is facing no charges for the classified documents he had held as his time as a senator and as a vice president, not the president of these United States of America.” To drive the point home, Hunt offered “last I checked, he had no legal authority to declassify those documents.”
When asked about an update for the classified documents found at the Penn Biden Center and in his garage, where Hunter Biden had had access to, Wray wasn’t able to provide much of an answer on the status of any such investigation. He did give the typical response about how “there’s an ongoing special investigation,” which he offered involved “FBI agents affiliated with, working on, working very actively, very aggressively with [Special Counsel Robert Hur] on that case.”
What Wray did speak more to, was to try to argue that, under his direction, “we have one standard, and that is we’re going to pursue the facts, wherever they lead, no matter who likes it,” adding “especially in sensitive investigations.”
Hunt made it clear that he does see where Wray is coming from. “I get your point, sir” he told the FBI director, “but that’s just not what we see as the public, as we the people.”
The congressman then went on to speak more to “this dichotomy” he had brought up to Wray. “We see one case being fast-tracked, and one case being slow-walked. We see one president’s home being raided, the other president’s home being kindly searched. You have one government agency, the Secret Service protecting the former president and his home, and another government agency, the FBI, raiding the same home.”
“Now to me, sir, that’s tragically ironic. And we expect more from a functioning constitutional republic, and these things shouldn’t be happening,” Hunt said, summing it all up in such a perfect way. The congressman also went to offer his opinion as to why the Biden Administration is going after Trump in such a way. “Now it’s my opinion that Joe Biden is the most unpopular president we have seen in a century,” Hunt shared, though it’s not merely one congressman who thinks so. Polls continue to look bad for the president. That, Hunt went on to say, “is why he knows the only way to stop President Trump from beating him is by putting him in jail.”
Hunt also made it a point to reminded how unprecedented the charges surrounding Trump are, something, as he referenced, Rep. Russell Fry (R-SC) had also raised. “In the 247 years of this existence of this great nation, only one president has ever been indicted by the DOJ, and his home raided by the FBI.” The congressman also addressed popular narratives from Democrats as to what Trump’s indictment means, if only it were true. When it comes to how “nobody is above the law,” Hunt said “I would love to see that!” He then asked “what about Hillary Clinton,” who he talked about later during his time as well, also asking “and what about Joe Biden, and what about Hunter Biden, who is America’s favorite son.”
Hunt then used his experience as a father to make a particularly amusing comparison, in that “Hunter Biden to me is like glitter. He is on everything, and you cannot get rid of him. And yet nothing is going to be done about this, we’re sick of it!” In mentioning how then FBI Director James Comey–Wray’s predecessor whom Trump had fired–did not want to charge Hillary Clinton for fear of interfering in a presidential election, Hunt questioned “what do you call this?!” As he pointed out, the Iowa Caucuses are only six months away.
“I think the American public would expect to see this from Cuba, and from Venezuela, and from Russia, and from China, but not here. The people expect us to have blind justice. They expect equal justice under the law. It is not the job of the DOJ or the FBI to prosecute Joe Biden’s top political opponent, who is leading in every single primary poll and the Iowa Caucus is in six months. Let the people decide! It’s our job to uphold the Constitution.”
Among those who noticed Hunt’s exchange with Wray included Alex Bruesewitz, who is quite vocal in his support for Trump, including with his tweets. Hunt has endorsed Trump for president, who had also endorsed the freshman Republican in his race to represent Texas’ 38th Congressional District.
Polling has shown that a majority of Americans believe the charges discussed by Hunt in such an exchange to be politicized.
Trump currently has indeed a commanding lead in the Republican presidential primary, and polling shows a general election hypothetical rematch between Trump and Biden to be close.
