Former President Joe Biden joked that he was a “young man” during an October 2023 interview with Special Counsel Robert Hur over his mishandling of classified documents, newly released audio shows.
Axios released audio on Friday from Biden’s interviews with Hur in which the then-president appeared to struggle to remember when his son Beau died, when he left office as vice president, what year President Donald Trump was elected to his first term or why he had classified documents that should not have been in his possession.
In addition to Biden’s memory lapses, the recordings showed him slurring his words and muttering when speaking to Hur.
BIDEN STRUGGLES WITH WORDS, KEY MEMORIES IN LEAKED AUDIO FROM SPECIAL COUNSEL HUR INTERVIEW
Transcripts of the interviews — conducted on Oct. 8 and 9, 2023 — were released on March 12, 2024.
On the first day of the interview, Hur stressed the importance of answering truthfully and urged Biden to make his best effort to recall the events in question, which the prosecutor acknowledged happened years ago.
“I’m a young man, so it’s not a problem,” Biden, now 82, jokingly responded.
“Okay, great. Glad to hear it,” Hur replied.
Former President Joe Biden addresses the Classroom to Career Summit in the East Room of the White House on November 13, 2024, in Washington, D.C. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Hur, who was appointed by then-Attorney General Merrick Garland to investigate Biden’s handling of classified documents, said in his report, released on Feb. 5, 2024, that he declined to bring charges against the president, in part, because a jury would find him a “sympathetic, well-meaning elderly man with a poor memory.” The report acknowledged that the documents were “willfully” obtained by Biden during his time as vice president and as a senator.
“I’m well-meaning and I’m an elderly man and I know what the hell I’m doing. I’ve been president, and I put this country back on its feet. I don’t need his recommendation,” Biden said when questioned by Fox News White House correspondent Peter Doocy days after Hur released his report.
The special counsel’s report, in addition to Biden’s gaffe-prone public appearances, amplified pressure from Republicans who said he lacked the mental fitness needed to serve as president.
President Joe Biden speaks during the Greek Independence Day in the East Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., on April 4, 2024. (Celal Gunes/Anadolu via Getty Images)
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Democrats and Biden’s White House initially criticized Hur for his report, insisting the then-president was “sharp” and that the special counsel was politically motivated.
Later in 2024, during Biden’s re-election campaign, Democrats urged him to drop out of the race over his performance in the June presidential debate against Trump, citing his age and mental acuity. Biden formally dropped out of the presidential race in July and finished his term. His vice president, Kamala Harris, was defeated by Trump in November’s general election.