James Comer's Hearing Erupts Into Chaos

Congressman James Comer's House Oversight Committee hearing erupted into chaos as the Kentucky Republican sparred with Representative Jamie Raskin, a Maryland Democrat, on Wednesday.

Raskin has been a vocal critic of Comer's investigation into the Biden family. For over a year, Comer has led an impeach inquiry into President Joe Biden's alleged involvement in his son Hunter Biden's foreign business dealings. Comer claims that Biden benefited from this alleged family scheme, which was conducted while Biden was vice president under former President Barack Obama.

However, the White House has repeatedly denied these claims and Biden has called the probe a "baseless political stunt." Additionally, there has been no sufficient evidence presented against Biden.

As chairman of the House Oversight Committee, Comer led a hearing on China on Wednesday, titled, Defending America from the Chinese Communist Party's Political Warfare, Part I.

During the hearing, Raskin, who is a ranking member of the oversight committee, and Comer got into multiple tiffs, going off into tangents about the Biden impeachment probe.

In one clip shared on X, formerly Twitter, Comer angrily asked Raskin, "What business were they in?" referring to the Biden family.

Comer's question came after Raskin asked the chairman what he thought of Trump receiving $5.5 million from China during his first two years as president. Trump, the presumed GOP presidential nominee, admitted in January that he did receive money from foreign governments including China while he was in office as his real estate business was providing a "service" for them.

"Well, what business is the Comer's in?" Raskin then asked Comer.

Speaking over Raskin, Comer said, "I'm a farmer." The committee chairman then probed Raskin: "What did the Bidens do?"

"I'll tell you what Joe Biden did. He was a senator of the United States. Then, he wrote a book and he said he made the most money he ever made in his life. Millions of dollars on his book. And he gave a million dollars away to charity," Raskin said.

Biden and his wife Jill Biden made $15.6 million in the two years after Biden left office as Obama's vice president. The earnings largely came from speaking fees and a book deal for Joe Biden's Promise Me, Dad: A Year of Hope, Hardship, and Purpose and Jill Biden's Where the Light Enters: Building a Family, Discovering Myself.

Comer banged his gavel and said "enough" after Raskin said: "Somebody needs therapy here, but it's nobody on our side of the aisle."

After Raskin resisted and asked for his time to be restored, the two of them got into a screaming match.

"Sit down. Everybody come back. This is about China," Comer said while banging his gavel.

When asked about the incident, an oversight committee spokesman told Newsweek via email on Wednesday: "Chairman Comer asked Ranking Member Raskin a simple question: what goods or services did the Bidens provide to receive millions of dollars from China, Russia, and other foreign countries? The Ranking Member failed to answer the question and resorted to his usual talking points on [former] President [Donald] Trump."

Meanwhile, during Wednesday's hearing, Representative Dan Goldman, a New York Democrat, said: "I'm gonna take a minute, just to answer the question you keep asking, which is, what is the business of the Bidens?

"Hunter Biden was a corporate governance lawyer appointed by George [W.] Bush to the Amtrak board, and then served on a number of corporate boards and investment firms. [Joe Biden's brother] Jim Biden is a businessman. Joe Biden is the president of the United States. And has been a public servant and elected official for the better part of 50 years," Goldman said.

The congressman continued: "Now, Hunter Biden, you may want to discuss what his business was and whether he was equipped to be part of an investment firm to provide services based on his experience.

"But that has nothing to do with your jurisdiction or the impeachment investigation, because you cannot link any of his business dealings: A, to any foreign government, which he was never paid by unlike Donald Trump's and Donald Trump's family, or B, to the president of the United States. And that's why your impeachment investigation is a spectacular failure."

Newsweek also reached out to the oversight committee Democratic communications director and the White House via email for comment.

Update 4/17/24, 3:57 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.