Robert Hur defends description of Biden's 'poor memory'

Hur called Biden a "well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory"

(Image credit: Al Drago / Bloomberg via Getty Images)

published 13 March 2024

What happened

Former special counsel Robert Hur, who investigated President Joe Biden's handling of classified documents, defended disparaging remarks about Biden's age and mental sharpness included in his report. Hur angered Democrats by concluding that jurors would see Biden as a "well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory" and acquit him.

Who said what

"I could not simply announce that I recommended no criminal charges and leave it at that," Hur told the House Judiciary Committee. "It was a political choice," said Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.). "It was the wrong choice." Republicans said Hur let Biden off the hook.

The commentary

In newly released interview transcripts, Biden does not appear "as absent-minded as Hur has made him out to be" in his report, said Matt Viser at The Washington Post.

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What next?

The White House knows the "political damage has already been done" by Hur's report, The New York Times said, and "Tuesday's hearing may do little other than amplify it — a reality that Republicans were clearly aware of when they invited him to testify."

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.