Biden News- Biden responds to special counsel, asserting his memory remains intact.
US President Joe Biden has responded vehemently to an inquiry that concluded he mishandled classified documents and encountered difficulties in recollecting significant life moments.
During a surprising news briefing, he vehemently asserted, “My memory is impeccable.” In response to an accusation that he couldn’t recall the time of his son’s passing, he expressed his outrage by exclaiming, “How dare he even bring that up?”
The investigation concluded that Mr. Biden had knowingly held onto and disclosed classified documents, but no charges were filed against him.
Special Counsel Robert Hur from the Department of Justice determined that Mr. Biden had unlawfully retained classified files pertaining to military and foreign policy in Afghanistan during his tenure as vice-president.
The scathing report, spanning 345 pages, which was released earlier in the day, highlighted significant limitations in the president’s memory.
Despite Mr. Biden’s attempts to address concerns about his age and mental sharpness, he inadvertently referred to Egyptian leader Abdul Fattah al-Sisi as the “president of Mexico” while responding to questions about the ongoing Israel-Gaza conflict.
When asked to comment on the latest developments in the war, he stated, “Initially, as you know, the president of Mexico, Sisi, was reluctant to allow humanitarian aid to enter.”
As part of the inquiry, Mr. Hur conducted a five-hour interview with the 81-year-old president.
The Republican special counsel, who was appointed by Attorney General Merrick Garland under President Biden’s administration, stated that President Biden could not remember specific details from his time as vice-president (2009-2017) or even the approximate time of his son Beau’s passing in 2015.
During a news conference on Thursday night, an emotional President Biden strongly criticized the sections of the report that questioned his recollection of these events.
“When I was asked that question, I honestly thought to myself, it’s none of their business,” he expressed.
“I don’t require anyone to remind me of the timing of my son Beau’s passing.”
During the interview with the special counsel, the president stated that he was extremely busy dealing with an international crisis. This coincided with the Israel-Gaza war that occurred from 8-9 October last year. The inquiry also revealed that Mr Biden had shared sensitive material from his hand-written notebooks with a ghostwriter for his memoir, a claim that the president denied during a press conference.
The special counsel’s report concluded that it would be challenging to prove the president’s mishandling of files in a court of law, as Mr Biden would likely present himself as a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory. Recent opinion polls have shown that the president’s age is a concern for US voters leading up to the White House election in November.
However, Mr Biden confidently stated to reporters on Thursday that he is the most qualified candidate, emphasizing his good intentions, experience, and ability to lead the country. He also made it clear that he does not require anyone’s recommendation.
When questioned about his responsibility for possessing classified documents in his residence, Mr. Biden shifted the blame onto his staff. He claimed to be unaware that sensitive memos were stored in his garage, which the special counsel alleges were placed next to a dog bed. A BBC correspondent in the Diplomatic Reception Room of the White House described the atmosphere as tense.
In response to a journalist expressing concerns about his age, Mr. Biden raised his voice and retorted, “That is your judgement, that is your judgement.” He maintained that his memory is “fine” and has not deteriorated during his presidency.
Additionally, Mr. Biden’s legal team criticized the special counsel’s use of prejudicial language to describe what they consider a common occurrence among witnesses: the inability to recall events from years ago. White House lawyer Richard Sauber, in a letter attached to the report, expressed dissatisfaction with the report’s wording.
The discovery of top-secret files at Mr. Biden’s residence in Wilmington, Delaware, and former private office from 2022-23 has raised concerns. This revelation followed a separate investigation that charged former President Donald Trump, aged 77, with mishandling classified documents after leaving the White House. He is scheduled to face trial in May for this case.
The Hur report distinguishes between the two cases, highlighting that Mr. Biden surrendered the documents to government archivists, while Mr. Trump allegedly did the opposite.
The report highlights that Mr. Trump, as per the indictment, not only prolonged the return of the documents for several months but also engaged others in destroying evidence and subsequently lying about it, thus obstructing justice.
In response, Mr. Trump expressed his stance that the justice department prosecutor should dismiss his trial concerning the classified files. He emphasized that if Special Counsel Jack Smith truly aims to benefit our nation and foster unity, he should cease all legal proceedings against Joe Biden’s political opponent, which is himself, and allow our country to heal. This statement was shared by the Republican White House frontrunner on his platform, Truth Social.