As we reported yesterday, Judge Maryellen Noreika rejected the unprecedented and absurd plea deal that Hunter Biden thought was his “Get Of Jail Free” card. It was a stunning development that shocked the liberal media and the Washington establishment.

The reason is obvious: This scandal really isn’t about Hunter Biden. It’s about Joe Biden. Here’s why.

The plea deal blew up because federal prosecutors said Hunter was still facing possible charges for failing to register as a foreign agent. His foreign business dealings involved selling access and influence to foreign countries, including enemies like communist China.

But who was Hunter Biden selling access to? Well, that would be his father, Joe Biden. Hunter Biden has no influence whatsoever except his access to his father, AKA “The Big Guy.”

Ultimately, this foreign influence scandal is about Joe Biden using his son as a salesman to enrich the Biden family. As constitutional law Professor Jonathan Turley put it:

“The judge just raised the one charge that the White House most fears, which is the chance that Hunter was a foreign agent. And if he was a foreign agent, the question is foreign agent for who and for what purpose? The president was that purpose.”

While I am encouraged that Judge Noreika rejected that “sweetheart plea deal,” there are still serious concerns going forward.

The New York Times reports that Judge Noreika asked the federal prosecutors if they could “re-do the investigation.” The response was telling: “I don’t think so, your honor.”

Well, why not? Because we know from the various whistleblowers that the investigation was rigged and compromised by repeated meddling from Biden appointees and partisan hacks at the FBI. It was deliberately botched from the very beginning.

So, what happens next?

Judge Noreika put the plea deal on hold and told the two sides to try again over the next few weeks. It would be astonishing if Hunter Biden’s attorneys cannot reach a deal with daddy’s Justice Department. And nobody wants a deal more than Joe Biden!

Here’s another possibility raised by some conservative legal experts: If they can’t reach a deal (and the judge clearly doesn’t like this one), the federal prosecutors could move to drop all the charges. If they do that, the judge’s hands are tied.

Meanwhile, news broke late Wednesday that Devon Archer, a close personal friend and business associate of Hunter Biden, is now in hiding. Archer reportedly owns two homes, but he has abandoned them both out of fear for his family’s safety and his own safety. The implications should concern every American.

He is supposed to testify before congressional investigators next week, but he’s already canceled his testimony multiple times.

Mayorkas Must Go

Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas testified before the House Judiciary Committee Wednesday. It’s clear that he needs to be removed because he knows virtually nothing about his job and the crisis at the southern border.

For example, when asked what his department did with 140 illegal aliens on the terrorist watch list, Mayorkas had no response.

When asked how many illegal aliens his department has deported, Mayorkas had no idea.

When asked what happened with all the illegal aliens released under his own “parole program,” Mayorkas didn’t have a clue.

When asked whether there was any limit to the number of illegal aliens he would allow into the country, Mayorkas refused to answer.

Republican frustration with Mayorkas boiled over as Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA) accused the secretary of being “the most dishonest witness that has ever appeared before the Judiciary Committee.”

Toward the end of the hearing, there was a revealing moment when Rep. Troy Nehls (R-TX) played a video of Bill Clinton’s 1995 State of the Union address. Clinton sounded like Donald Trump on illegal immigration, and he got a standing ovation from Republicans and Democrats at the time.

But, as Rep. Nehls noted, “the left has gone off the rails,” and now embraces open borders.

America In Decline

Yet another poll finds that patriotism and love of country is in decline, especially among America’s youth. According to the latest Gallup survey, only 18% of young adults (18 to 34) say they are extremely proud to be Americans.

Among all adults, just 39% say they are extremely proud to be Americans. This trend of declining patriotism has been most pronounced over the past 10 years. In 2013, 57% of all Americans said they were extremely proud of our country.

In addition to age, there are major partisan differences — 60% of Republicans are extremely proud to be Americans compared to just 29% of Democrats.

To have so many young citizens saying they don’t love the country is a tremendous problem. It partially explains the military’s recruitment crisis. But it also begs the question, “Why?”

I suspect if Gallup had asked followup questions, many of the responses would have reflected left-wing sentiments absorbed from years of neo-Marxist indoctrination in our public schools.

“America is an evil, systemically racist country.”

“America was built on slavery and genocide.”

“America was never great.”

“America represents oppressive patriarchy and exploitative capitalism.”

But I also have to believe that many young conservatives must be growing increasingly disillusioned with the direction of the country under the woke, neo-Marxist left.

Those of us who remember the Greatest Generation, who remember the “evil empire” and the threat of Soviet communism, who remember the Reagan era, have a very different perspective compared to those born in the shadow of 9/11, its two no-win wars, the Great Recession, the pandemic and the insanity that seems to dominate our popular culture these days.

Decline does not have to be our destiny, and it’s clear that most Americans are not happy with the direction of our country. But to change course, we need new leadership dedicated to making America great again.