Biden struggled through interview with special counsel Robert Hur, new audio reveals

Former President Joe Biden’s struggles with memory and recall were on full display during an October 2023 interview with special counsel Robert Hur, as newly released audio reveals. The 80-year-old former president repeatedly stumbled over his words, lost his train of thought, and struggled to remember key details of his political and personal life.

During the interview, Biden appeared confused and unsure when asked about where he would store papers related to his post-vice presidential work at the Penn Biden Center, his memoir “Promise Me, Dad,” and the Cancer Moonshot initiative. His responses were marked by long pauses, repeated stammering, and a lack of clarity.

The audio tapes of the interview were obtained by Axios after the Biden administration initially refused to release them, citing protected “law enforcement materials.” In the recordings, Biden can be heard speaking slowly, with his voice fading in and out, as he repeatedly seeks assistance in recalling the years of certain events.

At one point, Biden struggled to remember when his son Beau had died, asking, “What month did Beau die? Oh god, May 30 …” His lawyer had to remind him that Beau had passed away in 2015, to which Biden responded uncertainly, “I think it was 2015.”

Throughout the interview, Biden’s memory lapses and difficulties with recall raised concerns about his cognitive abilities and mental acuity. He appeared to conflate different time frames and events, leading to confusion and uncertainty in his responses.

This interview with special counsel Hur was part of a probe ordered by then-Attorney General Merrick Garland into Biden’s unlawful retention of national security papers from his time as Vice President and Senator. The audio recordings shed light on Biden’s struggles with memory and cognition, raising questions about his fitness for office during his presidency.

The former president’s stunning decline during the interview underscored the challenges he faced in maintaining coherence and clarity in his responses. Despite his long political career and experience, Biden’s struggles with memory and recall during the interview with special counsel Hur highlighted the need for transparency and accountability in assessing the mental fitness of public officials.