Peter Schweizer rails on China influence in U.S. politics, Hunter Biden’s laptop in Tiger Bay talk

Peter Schweizer, senior editor-at-large of Breitbart and president of the Government Accountability Institute (GAI), a conservative think tank, spoke about his new book at a Capital City Tiger Bay event Wednesday.

He said his new book, “Red-Handed: How American Elites Get Rich Helping China Win,” is focused on his theory that China has influenced the U.S. by buying off politicians and entrepreneurs through a process he dubs “elite capture.” The book’s cover features pictures of President Joe Biden, President of China Xi Jinping, NBA Superstar LeBron James, Elon Musk, Henry Kissinger and others.

Schweizer, who was the first person to see the emails on Hunter Biden’s infamous laptop currently at the center of a Justice Department investigation, has worked with former Donald Trump chief strategist Steve Bannon at both Breitbart and GAI. He also assisted in writing Trump’s 2011 book “Time to Get Tough.”

He said elite capture occurs when a rival country makes influential people in another country wealthy so they don’t aggressively pursue or challenge them. He said criticizing Chinese government actions like the Uyhgur genocide is allowed, but the strategy is meant to stop big pushes against China’s economy.

He argued that Hunter Biden’s business dealings with China provides evidence that such a relationship could exist with President Biden.

Schweizer claimed some of the emails on the laptop document Hunter paying expenses and repairs for his father, and that the two held a joint bank account. He said the relationship could violate ethics laws.

“People cannot pay your bills, it does not matter if it’s a family member, they can give you a gift, they cannot subsidize your lifestyle,” he said.

However, Schweizer said China influencing politicians isn’t a Democrat-only problem, citing Elaine Chao’s family ties to China-state businesses. Chao is married to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.

“It’s not a red problem, or a blue problem. It is a green problem, because Beijing has engaged in a very brilliant strategy that is working quite successfully,” he said.

Schweizer also listed a few politicians he believes are still tough on China, including Trump, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, and Sens. Rick Scott and Mark Warner.

He also blasted Musk and other U.S. billionaires for publicly speaking positively about the Chinese government, saying they could be doing so to maintain access to Chinese markets.

“I would say that many of them have a dangerous attraction to the autocratic regime in Beijing,” Schweizer said. “I don’t mean that they’re closeted communists. I don’t mean that they love President Xi. I think they believe and like the fact that in a country like China, the government can efficiently — that’s the word they use a lot — just get things done. And of course, if you’re running a dictatorship, you can do that. But there is no sort of civil rights.”

During Q&A, one Tiger Bay member expressed anger at the growing right and left divide in the U.S., and said he thinks books like Schweizer’s are helping to stoke it. He said Schweizer primarily focuses his attacks on certain people and is often debunked.

“I can’t believe what you’re saying here. You’re just saying it and we’re supposed to just take it as gospel. But I can go on the internet and find exactly the opposite position of what you’ve said,” he said. “I have a family and friends that have growing animosity, and I can’t stand it. And I think it’s because of stuff like you’re producing.”

Schweizer encouraged him to fact check his book and gave him his email to correspond with him after the meeting. He characterized attacks against him as an example of the saying, “when you can’t attack the message, attack the messenger.” He said he was grateful for the question.

“I appreciate him. Rather than sitting there and sort of grumbling about it, he came up and we talked about it,” he said.