NSC Spox Says Biden’s ‘Dialed In’ When NBC’s O’Donnell Asks How Hunter Biden Indictment Is ‘Impacting’ President’s Job

NSC spokesman Jake Sullivan said President Joe Biden is focused and “dialed in” when NBC News White House correspondent Kelly O’Donnell asked how the Hunter Biden indictment is “impacting” his job.

News broke Thursday afternoon that Special Counsel Davis Weiss has secured a grand jury indictment against Hunter Biden on three charges related to his purchase of a firearm.

Shortly after the news broke, President Biden delivered a speech at Prince George’s Community College in Largo, Maryland that the White House billed as a speech on Bidenomics during which he made a cryptic quip about not answering questions. He appeared to be in good spirits as he mingled with voters after the speech, even when reporters fired questions about Hunter long after the speech had ended.

On Friday, as the president wrapped up a speech on the UAW strike, a reporter shouted “Should Hunter get a pardon, Mr. President?”

Biden didn’t respond or break his stride as he left the Roosevelt Room.

The president’s son Hunter was a recurring topic at Friday’s White House press briefing, during which Sullivan was the opening act to discuss national security issues. But O’Donnell got a fairly lengthy response to her question as Sullivan sought to reassure Americans that Biden isn’t being distracted:

KELLY O’DONNELL: Given the complex issues you’ve been talking about that the President is dealing with and given your role being such a close advisor, I want to ask you about how you would describe to us the impact on a personal level that the President is going through with the indictment of his son? And does it have anything that you can see that affects his ability to prepare or his focus on these issues as he’s going into a consequential week?

MR. SULLIVAN: You don’t have to take it from me; you heard directly from the President that he’s focused on delivering for the American people. That’s true in terms of what he’s trying to get done here at home, and it’s definitely true in terms of what he’s trying to deliver in the way of security at the U.N. General Assembly in supporting Ukraine and moving forward.

So, that’s what he’s focused on. That’s where his mindset is.

I had the opportunity to participate in the President’s Daily Briefing today. And he was dialed in on the key issues that we’re confronting and will continue to be as we head into the New York week next week.

Watch above via The White House.