Originally published June 27, 2023 6:45 am PDT
On Friday, an unusual interaction sparked both laughter and controversy, as President Joe Biden jested about divulging “state secrets” during a meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Apple CEO Tim Cook, and various technology chiefs.
The President started off the meeting with an apparent joke that he had disclosed state secrets prior to the media’s arrival.
“I was just thinking, uh, uh, anyway. I started off without you, and I sold a lot of state secrets and a lot of very important things that we shared,” Biden seemingly quipped.
The gesture provoked reactions that ranged from amusement to disapproval.
Biden’s joke could be in reference to his son Hunter’s recently unearthed 2017 text message warning to a Chinese business associate, Raymond Zhao, in which Hunter said his father and his political allies would “make certain…that you will regret not following my direction” while negotiating a six-figure business deal.
The WhatsApp message from Hunter to Zhao was revealed to the House Ways and Means Committee last month.
“I am sitting here with my father and we would like to understand why the commitment made has not been fulfilled,” Hunter wrote Zhao.
“Tell the director that I would like to resolve this now before it gets out of hand, and now means tonight,” the younger Biden continued. “And, Z, if I get a call or text from anyone involved in this other than you, Zhang, or the chairman, I will make certain that between the man sitting next to me and every person he knows and my ability to forever hold a grudge that you will regret not following my direction.”
“I am sitting here waiting for the call with my father,” he warned.
Surprisingly, Modi and Cook, among others present, appeared to be amused by the President’s off-the-cuff remark.
Although the comment was intended to be humorous, Biden clarified by assuring everyone that he was only “kidding.”
However, the incident became a nationwide talking point, spreading virally across social media and news outlets.
U.S. Representative Marjorie Taylor Green (R-GA) commented on the matter, tweeting, “Joe Biden’s brain is going and he’s literally admitting his crimes out loud.”
“Impeach Biden! It’s unreal and so insulting to America,” she added.
Despite the awkward start, Biden managed to redirect the focus of the meeting back to the core discussion about the U.S.-India technology partnership.
He underscored the importance of continued collaboration between the two nations in technology and innovation, following his initial jest.
“Now all kidding aside, look, we’re teaming up to design and develop new technologies that are going to transform the lives of our people around the world. And together, we’re lifting the private and public partners to make this possible, including launching a new program between India and America — American astronauts, Indian astronauts, and entrepreneurs, scientists, students,” he said.
“Simply put, our countries are taking innovation and cooperation to a new level in our relationship, and thanks in large part to the folks around this table. So my message today is really simple. We’ve got to keep it up, and we have to make sure we aim even higher,” President Biden elucidated.”
