In an unexpected press briefing on Thursday evening, the 8th of February, US President Joe Biden angrily criticised an investigation which found that while serving as Vice President he had improperly stored classified documents related to military and foreign policy in Afghanistan and it was reported that he had difficulty remembering key events in his life, reports the British broadcaster BBC.
According to the BBC, the 345-page report, published on Thursday, said the President’s memory had “significant limitations” and he “knowingly retained and disclosed” classified files, but it was decided not to press charges.
In an interview lasting more than five hours as part of the investigation, Robert Hur, Special Counsel at the Justice Department, found that
Biden could not remember when he was vice-president and when his son Beau Biden died.
Biden became emotional about the report, which cast doubt on his memory: “Frankly, when I was asked that question, I thought it was none of their business,” he has said, “nobody needs to remind me when he [Bo] died.” Biden has said of the special adviser: “How the hell dare he bring that up?”
Biden has said he was “very busy” dealing with the international crisis when he was interviewed by the Special Adviser on 8-9 October last year, at the outbreak of the Israel-Gaza war.
The investigation also revealed that Biden had disclosed sensitive information to a writer of his memoir, which he has publicly denied. The Special Counsel acknowledged that it would be difficult to convict Biden, pointing out that he could be portrayed in court as a sympathetic elderly man with a bad memory.
Opinion polls suggest that there is concern about Biden’s age among US voters in the upcoming elections. Biden, speaking to journalists, has claimed that he is the most qualified candidate, stressing his competence, experience and successful track record in running the country.
However, even as he sought to refute concerns about his age and sharpness of mind, Biden, commenting on the war between Israel and Gaza, incorrectly
referred to Egyptian leader Abdel Fattah al-Sisi as “the President of Mexico”.
After assuring us that his memory is fine, Joe Biden refers to Sisi of Egypt as “the president of Mexico.” pic.twitter.com/D5Vbckkr1u
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) February 9, 2024
When asked about the storage of secret documents in his home, Biden has deflected responsibility onto his staff, claiming that he was unaware of secret documents in his garage, as stated in the Special Counsel’s report, mentioning that they had been located near the dog’s bed.
In response to the journalist’s concerns about his age, Biden has raised his voice to reject this view. He has stressed that his memory was “fine” and had not deteriorated during his presidency.
Biden’s legal team has also criticised the Special Counsel’s language on the President’s memory impairment, saying in a letter that it used highly prejudicial language to describe to witnesses the common failure to remember years-old events.
The top secret documents were found at Biden’s home in Wilmington, Delaware, and in his previous private office.
This information was revealed after a separate investigation accused former President Donald Trump of mishandling classified documents after leaving the White House, for which he faces trial in May.
The Hur report allegedly separated the cases, noting that Biden has handed over documents to government archivists, but Trump had refused to do so, obstructed justice and enlisted others to destroy evidence, according to the article.
Trump has responded on his social media platform “Truth Social”, calling on the Justice Department prosecutor to cancel his classified files lawsuit, arguing that ending the litigation would contribute to the country’s recovery.
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