Trump Destroys the GOP’s ‘Just Kidding’ Theory of His China Remarks: ‘They Can’ Look Into Biden

President Donald Trump was asked if he was “joking” when he said China should investigate former vice president and 2020 presidential candidate Joe Biden, replying that China can “do whatever they want,” but it would be “great” if they did.

“China has to do whatever they want. If they want to look into something, they can look into it. If they don’t want to look into it, they don’t have to,” President Trump declared. “Frankly, as far as I’m concerned, if China wants to look into something, I think that’s great, and if they don’t want to, I think that’s great too. That’s up to China.”

Last week, President Trump told the press that Ukraine “should investigate the Bidens,” and “likewise, China should start an investigation into the Bidens.”

Democrats, of course, have launched an impeachment inquiry of Trump based on a whistleblower’s allegations that he pressured Ukraine to investigate Biden, a political rival.

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL), a fierce critic of China, was the first Republican to defend Trump by claiming he was joking when he asked China to investigate Biden. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH), and Sen. Roy Blunt (R-MO) followed suit, all either denying that the president even asked China to investigate Biden, or claiming he was just kidding.

“I doubt the China comment was serious… He loves to bait the press,” claimed Blunt last week, while Jordan commented, “do you really think he was serious about thinking that China is going to investigate the Biden family?”

“You watch what the president said — he’s not saying China should investigate,” McCarthy proclaimed — falsely — on Monday.