Ever since the Joe Biden interview with Special Counsel Robert Hur was released, Republicans have been trying to obtain the audio tapes.
The DOJ has been stalling, now saying that it cannot turn them over due to deepfake threats from AI technology.
Talking Points…
- The Hur interview
- Won't turn over the tapes
- Analysis
When Hur interviewed Biden, the transcript was provided to Congress, not the audio tapes. After reading the transcripts, the GOP wanted the audio tapes to understand better how Biden was reacting to questions. The call for the tapes became even louder after it became apparent that Joe Biden had lied to the media after the fact.
The biggest bombshell from the interview was that Hur was not going to charge Joe Biden because of how he presented himself. Hur characterized Biden as a well-meaning elderly man who struggled to recall the facts. When this was released, Biden and his campaign pushed back, but the transcript proved that Biden was struggling and was the one who brought his son Beau's name into the interview, not Hur, as Biden had contended.
Due to Biden's clear problems recalling facts, the GOP wanted the audio tapes so they could hear how Biden sounded when he was struggling for answers. Not only that, but those tapes would make for some great soundbites in political ads, which is why the DOJ has been blocking the release of the tapes.
Attorney General Merrick Garland has already said he would not release the tapes to the committee. That resulted in several committee chairmen stating that they would look to hold Garland in contempt, but the DOJ has already announced that Garland cannot and will not be held in contempt, which has left the GOP hanging over a barrel.
Now, the DOJ is saying that it will not release the tapes because it is worried about AI deepfakes, which seems utterly ridiculous to me. It claims that if they release the audio, fake versions of the interview will be aired, making it difficult for people to know the real version. The DOJ stated:
"The passage of time and advancements in audio, artificial intelligence, and 'deep fake' technologies only amplify concerns about malicious manipulation of audio files.
"If the audio recording is released here, it is easy to foresee that it could be improperly altered and that the altered file could be passed off as an authentic recording and widely distributed."
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) responded:
"President Biden is apparently afraid for the citizens of this country and everyone to hear those tapes.
"They obviously confirm what the special counsel has found, and would likely cause, I suppose, in his estimation, such alarm with the American people that the president is using all of his power to suppress their release."
The DOJ's excuses at this point simply do not make sense, and I have a far better idea why the DOJ refuses to give up the audio tapes. Once the GOP has the audio, it can be matched up with the transcript, and based on what has been done to previous transcripts, it is a fairly safe bet there was some creative editing to cover up for Biden.
This game can only go on for so long. If Biden loses this election and Trump gets back into the White House, you better believe his AG will immediately release those tapes to Republicans, who can then compare the two and release them to the American people to hear for themselves. And if it turns out the transcript was edited, Joe Biden and Merrick Garland will have some fairly significant problems.
