In a rare evening address from the White House, President Joe Biden passionately defended his mental competence, responding to a report that questioned his recollection of significant life events. The 81-year-old president, visibly upset, rejected claims that he couldn’t remember the date of his son Beau’s death in 2015.

Addressing the nation on live television, Biden declared, “My memory is fine,” pushing back against the report’s assertion of “significant limitations” in his memory. The inquiry, led by Department of Justice Special Counsel Robert Hur, accused Biden of “wilfully retaining and disclosing” classified files but opted not to press charges.

During the emotional response, Biden questioned the audacity of raising the issue about his son’s death, stating, “How the hell dare he raise that?” Despite the report’s critical findings, the president emphasized that his son’s passing was a personal matter beyond scrutiny.

In an inadvertent slip during questions about the Israel-Gaza conflict, Biden referred to Egyptian leader Abdul Fattah al-Sisi as the “president of Mexico,” fueling concerns about his mental acuity.

Despite these moments, the special counsel’s inquiry did not result in charges against the president.
At the news conference,  candidly expressed frustration with passages casting doubt on his ability to recall events, declaring, “Frankly, when I was asked the question, I thought to myself, was none of their damn business.” The president staunchly asserted that he did not require reminders of his son’s passing.

The 345-page report, released earlier in the day, generated heated debates about Biden’s fitness for office, prompting him to confront the issue directly. While facing criticism, the president maintained his resilience, adamantly defending his memory and dismissing concerns about his mental capabilities.

In a surprising turn of events, Special Counsel Robert Hur’s report unleashed a political bombshell, just nine months before the election, characterizing President Joe Biden as a “well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory.” Hur suggested that given Biden’s diminished mental acuity, a jury might not have found him guilty on document-related charges.
Responding to reporters at the White House, Biden emphatically defended himself, stating, “I am well-meaning, and I’m an elderly man, and I know what the hell I’m doing. I’m president, and I put this country back on its feet.”

The president pointed to his accomplishments and the recovery of the post-Covid economy as evidence of his capability.

However, top Republican leaders, including Speaker Mike Johnson, deemed the report “deeply disturbing,” asserting that it showcased Biden as “unfit” for the presidency. They argued that a man unable to be held accountable for mishandling classified information shouldn’t occupy the Oval Office.

Despite Biden’s earlier declaration that the matter was closed following his exoneration on legal issues by Hur, his last-minute televised remarks contradicted this stance. The president, facing criticism about his age and mental fitness, has been combating perceptions that he is too old for the job as he gears up for the November election against Trump.

Hur’s stinging comments about Biden’s mental state and the House Republicans’ strong reaction have intensified the political climate. Biden’s momentary mix-up of Mexico with Egypt during a response to questions about Israel’s conflict with Gaza added fuel to the fire.

The report, spanning 388 pages, accused Biden of “willfully retaining and disclosing classified materials” after leaving the vice presidency, but it did not recommend prosecution. Hur acknowledged the difficulty in convincing a jury to convict an elderly former president of a serious felony requiring a willful mental state.

In response, the White House special counsel and Biden’s personal lawyer criticized Hur’s comments as neither accurate nor appropriate, emphasizing that a lack of recall of old events is commonplace.

The president noted granting five hours of interviews during the Israel-Hamas crisis, challenging the report’s implications about his competence. The fallout from this development is likely to impact the upcoming election narrative.

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