Hunter Biden hearing: No plea as judge refuses to 'rubber-stamp' deal

No date has been set for a follow-up hearing after the judge deferred a decision on the plea deal at today's hearing.

The judge gave both parties 30 days to submit briefs meant to assuage the concerns she so thoroughly expressed in court, after attorneys for both parties, toward the end of the proceeding, agreed to hash out some of the judge's concerns.

A spokesperson for Hunter Biden's legal team says they do not plan to comment on Wednesday's hearing.

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy reacted Wednesday to Hunter Biden's plea dealing being deferred for the time being.

He reiterated his allegation that the president's son has received different treatment from prosecutors, which the Department of Justice has pushed back on.

"There shouldn't be two justice systems in America, and hopefully today that's what is being done," McCarthy said.

"So now is the window to show that we have equal justice, and that's the real question ... is it going to be fair as you treat every other American? That will be the question," McCarthy said as he left the House floor.

Connecticut Sen. Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat, said Wednesday that he hoped Hunter Biden will "acknowledge his responsibility for the proceeding" and that the outcome will be "fair and just."

-ABC News' Allison Pecorin and Lauren Peller

At the top of her briefing on Wednesday afternoon, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre commented on "the news in Delaware today," as she called it, emphasizing that "Hunter Biden is a private citizen ... this was a personal matter for him," and saying the case was handled by a prosecutor appointed by former President Trump.

"As we have said, the president, the first lady, they love their son and they support him as he continues to rebuild his life," Jean-Pierre said. "This case was handled independently, as all of you know, by the Justice Department."

-ABC News' Ben Gittleson

Judge Noreika scrutinized nearly every facet of the plea deal before deciding to defer the agreement so the parties could reconvene at a later date.

The hearing was punctuated by multiple recesses, during which lawyers scrambled to negotiate their way out of the deal's divergent perspectives.

A visibly agitated Hunter Biden spent much of the time shifting between sitting and standing, summoning members of his legal team to discuss developments. Across the room, U.S. Attorney David Weiss appeared to share his demeanor.

Toward the end of the hearing, Noreika herself lashed out, repeatedly saying she felt as though she was being asked to "rubber-stamp" the deal.

In the end, she did not.