Newly released audio recordings from President Joe Biden’s October 2023 interviews with Special Counsel Robert Hur have revealed troubling lapses in memory, casting renewed scrutiny over his mental acuity during his time in office. The recordings, obtained by Axios, show the president repeatedly struggling to recall basic details including when his son Beau died, the year Donald Trump was elected, and how classified documents came into his possession.
The six hours of interviews were part of Hur’s investigation into Biden’s handling of classified materials found at his home and former office. Although Biden ultimately faced no criminal charges, Hur concluded in his February 2024 report that prosecuting the president would likely fail due to his advanced age and cognitive difficulties. The audio now publicly confirms what the transcript alone could not: long silences, slurred words, and a former president frequently relying on his lawyers to fill in memory gaps.
In one moment, Biden appeared to forget when Beau died, only recalling it after prompting from his legal team. As he tried to discuss his book Promise Me, Dad, the recording captured a ticking grandfather clock in the background accentuating the extended pauses in his speech.
Biden’s lawyers frequently stepped in to assist, supplying words or correcting dates. At one point, Biden seemed unsure why he had kept a classified memo about Afghanistan, vaguely suggesting it might have been “for posterity’s sake” a remark quickly walked back by his attorney, who insisted Biden could not recall intentionally retaining the document.
Though parts of the interview revealed moments of warmth and even humour with Biden reminiscing about bow-hunting in Mongolia and driving his Corvette with Jay Leno the overall tone raised concerns. While he remained generally engaged, he often meandered off-topic, requiring gentle redirection from Special Counsel Hur and his team.
The White House had resisted releasing the audio for months, claiming it could be misused by political opponents. Republicans, however, pushed aggressively for its release, with some accusing Attorney General Merrick Garland of shielding Biden from further scrutiny. After Garland only released the transcripts, House Republicans held him in contempt of Congress, and legal challenges from news organisations followed. The matter was still in court when Biden left office.
The six hours of interviews were part of Hur’s investigation into Biden’s handling of classified materials found at his home and former office. Although Biden ultimately faced no criminal charges, Hur concluded in his February 2024 report that prosecuting the president would likely fail due to his advanced age and cognitive difficulties. The audio now publicly confirms what the transcript alone could not: long silences, slurred words, and a former president frequently relying on his lawyers to fill in memory gaps.
In one moment, Biden appeared to forget when Beau died, only recalling it after prompting from his legal team. As he tried to discuss his book Promise Me, Dad, the recording captured a ticking grandfather clock in the background accentuating the extended pauses in his speech.
Biden’s lawyers frequently stepped in to assist, supplying words or correcting dates. At one point, Biden seemed unsure why he had kept a classified memo about Afghanistan, vaguely suggesting it might have been “for posterity’s sake” a remark quickly walked back by his attorney, who insisted Biden could not recall intentionally retaining the document.
Though parts of the interview revealed moments of warmth and even humour with Biden reminiscing about bow-hunting in Mongolia and driving his Corvette with Jay Leno the overall tone raised concerns. While he remained generally engaged, he often meandered off-topic, requiring gentle redirection from Special Counsel Hur and his team.
The White House had resisted releasing the audio for months, claiming it could be misused by political opponents. Republicans, however, pushed aggressively for its release, with some accusing Attorney General Merrick Garland of shielding Biden from further scrutiny. After Garland only released the transcripts, House Republicans held him in contempt of Congress, and legal challenges from news organisations followed. The matter was still in court when Biden left office.
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