Poor memory? Explosive Biden research report attracts broader attention Life expectancy has fallen more sharply due to Corona than previously assumed

The recently published transcript of a survey of US President Joe Biden in October has reignited the debate over the 81-year-old’s mental fitness. The House Judiciary Committee released the document Tuesday ahead of a hearing with special counsel Robert Hur. US Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed Hur last year to investigate the affair surrounding the discovery of classified government documents in Biden’s private rooms.

In early October, Hur spoke with Biden for several hours over two days. The exchange served as a key basis for Hur’s report, which ultimately found that no criminal charges were warranted against Biden, but described the US president as a “well-meaning older man with a poor memory,” leading to questions about Biden’s suitability for the presidency. . Hur justified his assessment in the report by saying, among other things, that Biden’s memory was “significantly impaired” during the interrogation.

Biden himself gave a press conference shortly after the report’s release in which he spoke out against Hur, saying, in part, “I’m an older man, and I know what the hell I’m doing.”

No clear picture

The transcript now published does not paint a clear picture. On the one hand, it shows an American president who mixed up or couldn’t remember years. For example, at one point he said that Donald Trump was elected president of the US in November 2017 – the elections were in 2016. During the course of the conversation, Biden also used phrases such as: “I don’t know” or “I can ‘. several times I can’t remember”. On the other hand, the 81-year-old made quick jokes and spoke in detail about the political events in the world.

After Hur’s investigation failed to produce legal ramifications for Biden, the Republican-led House Judiciary Committee summoned the special counsel for a hearing on Tuesday. Some observers classified this as a political maneuver. The committee’s chairman is right-wing hardliner Jim Jordan. He will probably have an interest in maintaining attention for the report for as long as possible in an election year.

Hur answered questions from committee members from both parties, each of whom criticized him for making Biden’s mental fitness part of his investigation or for not judging him harshly enough. Hur, who once served as attorney general of Maryland under then-President Donald Trump’s appointment, defended both his approach and his conclusions during the hearing. At one point he said of Biden that he “didn’t exonerate him.”

Biden’s age is a risk in the election campaign

Ahead of the upcoming presidential elections in November, Biden’s age remains his biggest burden. Lately, he has repeatedly made headlines with mistakes. Republicans – especially former President Trump – are using the topic extensively to question the Democrat’s mental and physical fitness. In the meantime, Trump must answer in court for his handling of documents.

In late 2022, classified information from Biden’s time as vice president was discovered, including in private offices in the capital Washington and in Biden’s home in Wilmington, Delaware. Presidents and vice presidents are required to hand over classified documents to the National Archives after their terms in office. They are not allowed to store confidential government data privately after they leave the government. Biden served as President Barack Obama’s deputy from 2009 to 2017 before moving to the White House in early 2021 as the state’s number one candidate. (dabbing/sda/dpa)