Has Biden broken the law for his son's businesses? VOA: Americans divided in their attitudes

About half of Americans say they have little or no confidence that the Justice Department is investigating Hunter Biden in a fair and impartial manner, and 1 in 3 are concerned that President Biden may have wrongdoing related to business activities of his son, according to the findings of a new survey. But the political divide is pronounced. 66% of Republicans, and only 7% of Democrats, are very or extremely concerned about whether Joe Biden has done wrong for his son's businesses, according to a poll by the agency's NORC Center for the Study of Public Affairs. of Associated Press news.

In general, Democrats are much more reserved in blaming the president for his son's entrepreneurial activities. "The way I see it, if Biden did something wrong, then he should be held accountable," said Pilar DeAvila-Pinsley, a 60-year-old Democrat from New York. "But there is no evidence for that."

The poll came shortly before House Speaker Kevin McCarthy began an official investigation aimed at finding links between the president and his son's business ventures, as well as distracting attention from legal charges against former President Donald Trump. while the confrontation between the two in the electoral race for the White House is approaching. A special prosecutor appointed by Attorney General Merrick Garland is investigating Hunter Biden's business activities after a plea deal was struck on tax and gun charges.

After nearly a year of investigations, federal prosecutors have not provided any indication that President Joe Biden may be involved. And so far, Republicans have not uncovered any significant evidence of wrongdoing by President Biden, who spoke frequently with his son during his time as vice president and attended a business dinner with his son's associates. The White House, for its part, says that Joe Biden was not involved in his son's business affairs. These statements have not relieved Americans of concern, and changes in the White House's explanations have caused concern - from the earlier insistence that President Biden never spoke to his son about his business activities abroad, to the current statements that President Biden has no joint business with his son.

The survey found that only 19% of Americans are very or extremely confident that the Justice Department is investigating fairly and impartially. Another group of 30% have some confidence, and 50% say they have little or no confidence. This view is particularly present among Republicans: 79% say they have little or no faith in the justice of the investigation. Even Democrats express low levels of confidence: 33% have a lot of confidence, 36% have some confidence, and 29% have some confidence. The political polarization reflects the broader divide in the United States, and the sharp political lines that have emerged over the validity of the 2024 election, as well as the first impeachment process for former President Trump.

The poll shows that a majority of Americans, 56%, say they have heard something about the Hunter Biden investigation, and only 18% say they have heard a lot. Republicans are more likely than Democrats to have heard something about the investigations (68% vs. 51%) and also to have heard a lot (27% vs. 13%).