Special Counsel Robert Hur defended his assessment of President Joe Biden’s memory during his testimony before the House Judiciary Committee on Tuesday.
Hur stated that evaluating Biden’s memory was crucial to investigating whether the president intentionally hoarded classified documents while out of office.
Robert Hur (Credits: Yahoo News)
Hur clarified that his task was to determine whether Biden retained or disclosed national defense information willfully, meaning knowingly and with the intent to break the law. As such, Hur had to consider Biden’s memory and overall mental state in his investigation.
The assessment of Biden’s memory came under scrutiny after Hur released a special report in February detailing instances where Biden struggled to recall details, including dates related to his son Beau’s death.
In the report, Hur described Biden as a sympathetic, well-meaning elderly man with a poor memory but did not recommend pressing charges.
Robert Hur and Biden (Credits: New York Post)
Hur’s conclusions were criticized by both Democrats and Republicans. Democrats accused him of gratuitously referencing Biden’s age, which became contentious in the 2024 election.
Republicans used the report to argue that Biden was receiving preferential treatment compared to former President Donald Trump, who faces charges related to retaining classified documents.
Hur, a registered Republican, defended his assessment, stating that it was necessary, accurate, and fair. He emphasized that he did not sanitize his explanation nor unfairly disparage the president.
