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What is it with Joe Biden and the rising concerns about his age?
In response to a Special Counsel investigation revealing memory lapses and mishandling of top-secret files, President Joe Biden refutes claims of cognitive decline while facing scrutiny over his handling of classified information.
United States President Joe Biden has refuted claims of declining memory following an investigation by the Special Counsel, which found instances of mishandling top-secret files.
The probe conducted by Special Counsel Robert Hur further indicated that Joe Biden, aged 81, encountered difficulties recalling certain pivotal life events during the investigation.
During a press conference held on February 8, President Biden asserted, “My memory is intact.”
He also challenged the findings of the Special Counsel’s investigation, which detailed Biden’s inability to recall the passing of his son, Beau Biden, in 2015.
Responding to the probe, Biden criticized, “How dare he raise that?”
The investigation, which did not result in charges against the US President, concluded that Joe Biden had “willfully retained and disclosed” classified files, withholding classified documents related to US military and foreign policy in Afghanistan during his tenure as Vice President under the Obama administration.
The 345-page report on Biden’s handling of classified information highlighted “significant limitations” in his memory.
Biden’s reaction to the investigation also involved criticism towards reporters questioning him at the White House.
During the press conference addressing his memory and age, Biden mistakenly referred to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi as the “President of Mexico.”
“I think, as you know, initially, President of Mexico, Sisi, did not want to open up the gate to allow humanitarian material to get in,” he stated when asked about the Israel-Gaza conflict.
According to the report, Joe Biden was interrogated for approximately five hours. Robert Hur, a Republican-appointed Special Counsel, mentioned that the President could not recall information or details about events occurring between 2009 and 2017.
However, the Special Counsel acknowledged that due to the President’s memory lapses regarding key events, convicting him would be challenging.
“At trial, Mr. Biden would likely present himself to a jury, as he did during our interview, as a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory,” Robert Hur stated.
The press conference by Biden has since been characterized as emotional by many media outlets, raising further questions about the mental acuity and age of the sitting US President, who is expected to run for re-election in November 2024 against former President Donald Trump.
Several polls conducted by various outlets have shown a significant decline in Biden’s approval and presidential ratings, with many speculating a potential return of Donald Trump to the White House.
