A transcript from a special counsel’s interviews with President Biden about his handling of classified documents shows that the Democrat repeatedly insisted he never deliberately intended to retain sensitive files, according to reports, while also shedding light on some of the exchanges that led to a bombshell claim about Biden’s memory.

Biden did at times appear uncertain about dates and the order of events during his conversations with special counsel Robert Hur last October. But the transcript of their interviews could lead to questions about Hur’s sensational conclusions about Biden having “significant limitations” on his memory, according to the Associated Press.

  • RoyalEngineering@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    108
    ·
    9 months ago

    In fact, the transcript shows that Hur never even asked about Beau’s death. It was Biden himself who brought up the subject while he discussed a book in which he addressed his son’s illness and death, according to AP, which has reviewed the transcript. “What month did Beau die?” Biden asked, before adding: “Oh God, May 30th,” the correct date. After a White House lawyer said the death was in 2015, Biden asked: “Was it 2015 he died?”

    So the transcript showed that Hur didn’t ask Biden about the death date. The White House lawyer said the year and Biden was not sure about the exact month and day, but got it within the same conversation.

    Sounds like it happened in like 10 seconds. If that’s the case, I have “significant limitations” too…

    • School_Lunch@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      82
      ·
      9 months ago

      It’s quite the leap to conclude that it had anything to do with memory. He could’ve asked if it was 2015 because he was surprised it was that long ago. Sometimes things like losing a child might screw with your since of time and feel more recent.

      • RoyalEngineering@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        52
        ·
        9 months ago

        Oh yeah. Good point, you could read that way too, similar to “Wow, was covid really 4 years ago?? Seems like yesterday!”

        • thesohoriots@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          24
          ·
          9 months ago

          It’s decontextualizing everything, stripping tone, inflection, etc. like in My Cousin Vinny when the police transcript reads back as a murder confession: “I shot the clerk.”

        • RestrictedAccount@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          22
          ·
          9 months ago

          In his book, Biden said that he was so distraught that he relied on friends for a lot of the timeline around Beau’s death.

          That is understandable AF

      • Stovetop@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        21
        ·
        9 months ago

        I barely even know how time has passed since the pandemic. 2019 was only a year ago, right?

        • No_Eponym@lemmy.ca
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          14
          ·
          9 months ago

          2019 feels like the last real year. Every year since I feel like I am Bruce Willis in the 6th sense. Stuck in 2019, unable to have any impact on the world around me.

        • Brokkr@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          11
          arrow-down
          7
          ·
          9 months ago

          Yeah, but since 2021 Biden has been just sitting around in some fancy mansion at the center of DC, giving some speeches and sometimes traveling around the world/country on a private jet with a chef and personal security. He’s got such a simple life now he should be able to remember and reminisce about all moments in his life. What else could possibly be occupying his time? There couldn’t possibly be anymore significant issues to occupy his time. Oh, and for like a year before moving to DC he took a big tour around the whole country, just talking to people.

    • Kyre@kbin.social
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      19
      ·
      9 months ago

      My wife and I both forgot the year we were married during a conversation last week. It went a lot like the one in the transcript. “That was 2022? No wait, 2021? Let me pull up the pictures on my phone to see the date…”.

      We have only been married 3 years. To be fair, we have been together for 12.

    • BassTurd@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      5
      ·
      9 months ago

      My dad died in 2015. I couldn’t tell you the month, but I got married in Nov 2014, and he died shortly before his April birthday 2015. I’m in my mid 30s, and if you gave me 45 guesses I’d probably get it correct, but I will never be able to recall the date.

  • yemmly@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    87
    ·
    9 months ago

    I’m decades younger than Biden and I have trouble recalling the exact dates of my family members’ deaths. Because I never try to remember their deaths. Their lives are what mattered.

    • Socsa
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      22
      ·
      9 months ago

      I do a lot of public speaking professionally and am considered good at it. I fumble over words and forget shit all the time.

      The people who are pearl clutching about this shit are legitimately people whose entire experience with recitation are making bored small talk with their spouse and scolding their children.

      • RubberDuck@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        5
        ·
        9 months ago

        That, for sure!

        People also forget that on the big stages of life you usually only see professionals. And if there is one thing you need to understand about professionals, they make what they do seem easy.

    • jordanlund@lemmy.worldM
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      7
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      9 months ago

      I’m in the same boat. My dad died… just before I took my current job. 2012? I think? I’m not sure, it’s all blurry.

  • 0xb@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    15
    ·
    9 months ago

    A Republican lied? And the media just ran with it? And the rebuttal and truth won’t get nowhere near the same coverage? I’m shocked I tell you, shocked.