The White House has launched a vigorous counteroffensive in response to a damning special counsel report that criticized Joe Biden’s memory, characterizing it as a politically motivated attack on the president during an election year.
Vice President Kamala Harris took the forefront in addressing the aftermath of the investigation. Although the report absolved Joe Biden of any wrongdoing related to classified documents, it portrayed him as a “well-intentioned elderly man with memory challenges.” This characterization has raised questions about Biden’s cognitive abilities as he seeks a second term.
The 81-year-old Democrat reacted with visible frustration during a late-night press conference on Thursday, vehemently asserting that his “memory is fine.” However, in an unfortunate twist, he momentarily confused the presidents of Egypt and Mexico.
“The way that the president’s demeanor in that report was characterized could not be more wrong on the facts and (was) clearly politically motivated,” Harris said when asked about special counsel Robert Hur’s report.
Harris, condemned special counsel Robert Hur’s comments about Joe Biden’s age and memory as “gratuitous, inaccurate, and inappropriate.” She noted that the president’s interview was conducted in the intense aftermath of the October 7 terrorist attack in Israel. Harris’s remarks shifted the focus from merely criticising the report to questioning the motives of the special prosecutor himself.
Robert Hur, a former U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, was initially appointed by Republican President Donald Trump to serve in that role in 2017. Later, in January 2023, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland named him as the special counsel to investigate the presence of classified documents related to President Joe Biden.
Amid the ongoing discussions about President Joe Biden’s cognitive abilities as he vies for a second term, the attention is also squarely on Vice President Kamala Harris. In the event that Biden were to resign or become incapacitated, Harris would be next in line to assume the presidency.
As both President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris gear up for a potential second term in the White House, they find themselves grappling with dismal approval ratings. Their campaign, likely against former President Donald Trump, will undoubtedly be closely watched by the American public.
The White House responded by strongly condemning the “gratuitous and inappropriate criticisms” in the report.
Ian Sams, the spokesperson for the White House, refrained from explicitly labelling Hur as partisan. However, he intimated that Hur might have been compelled to exceed his official scope due to the highly polarized political climate in the United States.
During a briefing, questioned the necessity of the report’s gratuitous and inappropriate criticisms of the president. He emphasized that when the facts and evidence do not substantiate any charges, such commentary raises legitimate concerns .
Sams added,“We’re in a very pressurized political environment. And when you are the first special counsel in history not to indict anybody, there is pressure to criticize.”
Amidst mounting pressure, Republicans have demanded President Biden’s resignation. Meanwhile, former President Trump, who himself faces criminal charges related to the retention of classified documents and subsequent refusal to cooperate with investigators, has accused the Department of Justice of applying double standards.
Spokesperson Ian Sams, in response to concerns that the report’s age-related criticisms might impact President Biden’s standing in the November polls, asserted, “I believe the public is Smart.”
President Joe Biden responded vehemently from the White House on Thursday night, sharply criticizing the special counsel for asserting that he couldn’t recall the date of his son Beau’s passing in 2015. Biden expressed his frustration, stating, “How in the hell dare he raise that? Frankly, when I was asked the question, I thought to myself, it was none of their damn business.”
Sams further commented, “To imply that he couldn’t recall the date of his son’s passing is truly beyond acceptable boundaries.”.
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