Mike Pence knocks President Biden over investigation into Hunter: When I was VP 'my son was flying an F-35

• Mike Pence knocked Joe and Hunter Biden over news of a special counsel's investigation.
• Pence said when he was vice president, "my son was flying an F-35 for the Marine Corps."

Former Vice President Mike Pence on Friday took a shot at President Joe Biden over his son Hunter's conduct while Biden was serving as vice president.

"To be honest with you, I can't relate to what his son was doing while he was vice president," Pence told reporters while campaigning at the Iowa State Fair. "When I was vice president, my son was flying an F-35 for the Marine Corps defending this country. I think it's about time that we saw the appointment of a special counsel to get to the bottom of not only what Hunter Biden was doing, but what the Biden family was doing."

The former vice president's shot at the White House came shortly after Attorney General Merrick Garland announced he would elevate Delaware US Attorney David Weiss to special counsel, as Weiss continues his investigation into Hunter Biden's business dealings.

Pence said he welcomed Garland's announcement, a much more fulsome endorsement of the move than other Republicans have given. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and others are already questioning Weiss' standing.

Hunter Biden has admitted that he struggled with substance abuse toward the end of his father's vice presidency following the death of his brother, Beau.

At the same time, the vice president's son was conducting business with foreign companies, including serving on the board of Burisma, a Ukrainian gas company. Republicans have alleged that Hunter Biden's business dealings amounted to bribes to the sitting vice president, but thus far they have yet to prove any wrongdoing on Biden's behalf. Rep. James Comer, the top Republican on the House Oversight Committee, now rejects the notion that his panel needs to show a direct connection to Biden.

Pence attended his son, Michael Pence Jr's, graduation from naval aviator training in 2018. Then-Vice President Pence also spoke of his son during his eulogy for President George H.W. Bush, pointing out that his son made his first tailhook landing on an aircraft carrier named after the 41st president.

Pence has tried to balance his steadfast belief with his actions on January 6, 2021, with the kind of red-meat campaigning necessary to secure the GOP presidential nomination. The former vice president has struggled to keep pace with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, let alone former President Donald Trump, who holds a commanding national lead over the field. Pence has qualified for the first GOP presidential debate that is less than two weeks away.

A spokesperson for Biden's campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.