CNN Anchor and Reporter Dump On Very Existence Of Biden Audio Tapes — With Republican Video Clips

CNN anchor John Berman and correspondent Zachary Cohen dumped all over the tapes Republicans claim implicate President Joe Biden — by playing clips of Republicans admitting they may not even exist.

Republicans like Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Rep. James Comer (R-KY) are having a rough time with the media in their promotion of an FBI form they say details allegations against Biden and his son Hunter Biden — the latest wrinkle being the claim that an informant’s source claims to have over a dozen audiotapes implicating Biden.

On Friday morning’s edition of CNN News Central, Berman and Cohen cast doubt on the very existence of those tapes by playing clips of several Republicans admitting the tapes may not exist:

JOHN BERMAN: This morning, some Republicans are admitting they do not know if there is any truth to the allegations that 17 audiotapes exist that may implicate Joe and Hunter Biden in a bribery scheme. On the Senate floor this week, Senator Chuck Grassley brought up these supposed tapes, which were allegedly recorded when Biden was vice president. But now he seems to be backtracking, saying he has not heard them and does not know if they are real.

SEN. CHUCK GRASSLEY: The foreign national who allegedly bribed Joe and Hunter Biden allegedly has audio recordings of his conversation with them. Seventeen such recordings.

I just know they exist because of what the report says. Now, maybe they don’t exist, but how will I know until the FBI tells us? Are they showing us our work?

JOHN BERMAN: So senators learned about the alleged tapes from an FBI form known as an FD1023, 1023. The document reportedly summarizes multiple conversations between an FBI informant and a foreign national alleging that a Ukrainian energy company executive offered both Joe and Hunter Biden $5 million bribes. A lot there. CNN’s Zachary Cohen is with us now. Thank goodness you’re here to sort of pause what this all means. First, what exactly are these tapes and explain the backtrack that does appear to be happening among some Republicans.

ZACHARY COHEN: Yeah. John, this was really a bold claim from a senior Senate Republican in Chuck Grassley who says that, you know, there’s over a dozen audio tapes of this unnamed foreign national talking about, with the Bidens, President Joe Biden when he was vice president, and his son, Hunter, about this alleged bribery scheme. Now, we’ve, reporters have been pressing Republicans to prove these allegations, to show any evidence that they are even remotely true. And so far, Republicans have failed to not only back them up, but have really shied away from Grassley’s claim about the audio tapes. Take a listen to what House Oversight Chairman James Comer and Senator Ron Johnson, who’s launched his own investigation previously into the Bidens foreign dealings. See what they said when asked about Grassley’s claims.

REP. JAMES COMER: We don’t know if they’re legit or not, but we know that the foreign national claims he has them.

SEN. RON JOHNSON: I’m not aware that we have verified that those recordings exist.

ZACHARY COHEN: So Republicans have lobbed a variety of allegations out there about the Bidens, about Hunter Biden, who is under investigation in his own right. But the Republicans have not made any sort of direct connection between those allegations and the current president. These audiotapes are just the latest in a series of unverified allegations from Republicans on the Hill who are trying to make something stick.

REP. JAMES COMER: Does the FBI have anything to say about any of this?

ZACHARY COHEN: Yeah, John, the FBI. A senior FBI official was up on Capitol Hill recently and was asked about the existence of the audio tapes. Now, because we know that these, that this forms, FBI form, and these allegations were passed along to a U.S. attorney. The FBI official would not comment on an ongoing investigative matter. But still, you know, there is this line between legitimate investigations and then these political attacks from Republicans. And that line can be blurry at times.

When reached for comment, White House counsel spokesman Ian Sams told Mediaite, “Everything in their so-called investigation seems to be mysteriously missing: informants, audio tapes, and most importantly of all – any credible evidence. Maybe it’s time for House Republicans to join the President to focus on real issues that matter to the American people like fighting inflation and creating jobs instead of these sad sideshow stunts.”

Watch above via CNN News Central.