Startling audio recordings have emerged, casting a spotlight on former President Joe Biden's mental sharpness during a critical investigation in 2023.
These recordings, obtained by Axios from interviews conducted on October 8 and 9, 2023, with special counsel Robert Hur, capture Biden struggling with memory, slurring speech, and failing to recall pivotal personal and political milestones, fueling debates about his fitness for office at age 81 while campaigning for another term, Axios reported.
The interviews, spanning two three-hour sessions in the White House's Map Room, reveal Biden's difficulty remembering key dates like the passing of his son Beau in 2015 or his departure from the vice presidency.
Additionally, Biden faltered on recalling Donald Trump's initial election in 2016 and the reasons behind possessing classified materials after leaving office. His speech, often halting and marked by long pauses, was accentuated by the steady tick of a grandfather clock in the background, especially when discussing his book about Beau's battle with brain cancer.
On the first day, October 8, coinciding with a major international crisis following Hamas' attack on Israel, Biden appeared particularly slow, taking over two hours to explain how classified items ended up in his storage.
By contrast, on October 9, Biden sounded more alert and energetic, though memory gaps persisted. Despite these lapses, he remained generally attentive, often injecting humor and sharing nostalgic anecdotes about topics ranging from driving a Corvette to historical debates.
However, tension arose when Biden's attorney, Bob Bauer, intervened during a discussion about a sensitive document on Afghanistan, cautioning against speculative responses.
Biden admitted to wanting to retain a classified item "for posterity's sake," a statement that could have carried legal consequences if not for Bauer's swift interjection. Throughout the sessions, White House counsel Ed Siskel and deputy Rachel Cotton also stepped in to assist when Biden stumbled over dates or phrases.
Special counsel Robert Hur and co-counsel Marc Krickbaum maintained a courteous and amicable tone, even as they probed into a 2017 recording where Biden mentioned finding classified materials.
Ultimately, Hur concluded that prosecuting Biden for improper possession of classified documents was unlikely to succeed, citing his cooperative nature and sympathetic demeanor as a likable, elderly figure with memory challenges. Here is a poignant reflection from Biden during the interviews, highlighting the personal context behind his actions:
OK, yeah. In 2017, Beau had passed, and — this is personal — the genesis of the book and the title Promise Me, Dad, was a — I know you're all close with your sons and daughters, but Beau was like my right arm, and Hunt was my left.
Hur's report, released on February 8, 2024, and the subsequent availability of interview transcripts by the Justice Department, did little to quell controversy, with Republicans decrying the decision not to charge Biden while former President Donald Trump faced similar allegations.
Democrats, alongside Biden's administration, countered by defending his sharpness and accusing Hur of bias, while then-Vice President Kamala Harris called the report's characterization of Biden inappropriate; meanwhile, a forthcoming book by Axios' Alex Thompson and CNN's Jake Tapper explores the narrative of concealing Biden's decline, leaving Democratic leaders grappling with responses.
The release of these audio files, initially withheld by the White House as protected materials amid claims of partisan misuse, underscores ongoing concerns about Biden's capacity during his 2023 campaign, juxtaposed against Hur's portrayal of him as a well-meaning but forgetful individual, unlikely to be convicted by a jury due to his age and demeanor.
