Politics

GOP Sen. Rick Scott suggests Biden is ‘compromised’ by China

GOP Florida Sen. Rick Scott on Sunday accused President Biden of repeatedly “pacifying” China and suggested the commander in chief may be “compromised” somehow by the Communist country. 

Scott told John Catsimatidis on his WABC 770 AM radio show that no American company should be doing business in China or Russia, saying the US must “focus on what’s good for America, what’s good for Americans, what’s good for our children, our grandchildren.

“​All that Biden does is pacify China. I mean, I don’t know why he does it​. I don’t know if he’s compromised. I don’t know what it is​. But ​this is a guy that won’t stand up to dictators around the world​,” Scott said.

The president has had to deflect questions for months about his role in first son Hunter Biden’s business dealings in Ukraine and China, which were first reported by The Post in October and November 2020. 

GOP Sen. Rick Scott said in an interview Sunday that President Biden might be “compromised” by China. AP

Scott reiterated comments he made on Twitter last week in response to a poll that showed Americans are now more concerned with China’s influence around the world than Russia’s, and that 58% disapprove of how Biden is handling relations with Beijing. 

“Communist China has chosen to be our enemy. The CCP wants to destroy our way of life, and​ ​@JoeBiden shows nothing but weak appeasement​,” Scott posted on Twitter, linking to The Associated Press survey.

“The American people deserve a leader in Washington who stands up to evil regimes and puts America first​,” he added.​

President Biden has been repeatedly pressed on his family’s business relationships in China. AP

The poll was conducted just before Biden made a surprise visit to Ukraine but after the US military shot down a Chinese spy balloon Feb. 4 off the coast of South Carolina.​

Biden faced pointed criticism for the delay in shooting down the balloon, thus allowing it to sail across a large part of the United States, including over sensitive military installations. 

Secretary of State Antony Blinken also said last Sunday that he believed China was considering providing lethal weapons to Russia in its year-long war against Ukraine, further straining relations between Washington and Beijing.​

Sen. Rick Scott said in an interview Sunday, “​All that Biden does is pacify China.” AP

The Biden family had been involved in two relationships with companies linked to the Chinese government.

And business records show that Hunter Biden still retains a 10% stake in Chinese state-backed BHR partners, which claims it manages about $2.1 billion in assets. 

The embattled first son co-founded BHR Partners in 2013, right around the time he accompanied his father, then the vice president in the Obama administration, on Air Force Two for an official trip to Beijing.

Hunter Biden’s lawyer said in 2021 that the president’s son’s stake in BHR had been divested. 

Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.), the chair of the House Oversight Committee, has set the panel’s sights on the Biden family’s interests in China. 

The president bristled earlier this month when confronted by reporters about whether he is compromised by his family’s connections to China, saying, “Give me a break.”

Asked by a reporter from The Post, whether his son still owns a company with “Chinese government entities,” Biden waved his hand.​

“​You can come to my office and ask a question when you have more polite people with you​,” he responded.