Trump and the Constitution: an uneasy fit Trump stirred outrage from Democrats — and received muted criticism from Republicans — last weekend for suggesting that the U.S. Constitution should be suspended and that the 2020 election he lost should be thrown out. The trigger for Trump's statement was the release of internal Twitter documents by Twitter's new owner, Elon Musk, concerning its decision to restrict the sharing of the contents of Hunter Biden's laptop, including pictures of genitalia, in the weeks before the election. A review of Trump's statements about the Constitution, both before and during his presidency, show that his opinion of the Constitution is as malleable as his moods permit. Trump has celebrated the Constitution like any traditional politician. He tried to win Republican votes in 2016 by pledging to appoint Supreme Court justices who would "follow the Constitution." But he has also weaponized the Constitution against his foes, using it as a foil to dismiss their policies. He frequently claimed that Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton — and other Democrats — had taken unconstitutional steps. Moreover, as president, he pushed the boundaries of the document. In the final days of his presidency, Trump pressed Vice President Mike Pence to reject the election results, even though Pence protested that he did not have that power under the Constitution. We compiled a detailed list of Trump's comments on the Constitution over the years. Please read our full report.  Fact Checker cat GIF | Enjoy this newsletter? Forward it to someone else who'd like it! If this email was forwarded to you, sign up here. Did you hear something fact-checkable? Send it here; we'll check it out. Dissecting GOP claims about Hunter Biden deals Soon after claiming control of the House in the upcoming Congress, Republicans announced that they would launch an investigation into business dealings of Hunter Biden, the president's son, with the aim of proving that the president was involved in some of those deals as well. The news conference, and accompanying report issued by House Republicans, relied heavily on materials found on a hard-drive copy of the laptop Hunter Biden supposedly left behind for repair in a Delaware shop in April 2019. The laptop has been a source of significant reporting about Hunter Biden's personal and business life, but many news organizations have treated its contents with trepidation because it emerged late in the 2020 presidential campaign and, at the time, they were unable to verify its authenticity. At several points, Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.), incoming chairman of the House Oversight Committee, referenced a deal Hunter Biden tried to strike with CEFC China Energy, an energy conglomerate. Many aspects of his financial arrangements have been examined by news organizations, including The Washington Post. But at a news conference, Comer made assertions that have not been proved, are in dispute or appear incorrect. Any potential connection between Joe Biden and his son's business dealings, thus far, is especially strained. Our report offers a guide to some of the claims made in the news conference. We're always looking for fact-check suggestions. You can reach us via email, Twitter (@GlennKesslerWP and @AdriUsero) or Facebook. Read about our process and rating scale here, and sign up for the newsletter here. Scroll down for this week's Pinocchio roundup. | 
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