WASHINGTON (AP) – The White House knew it had a political problem. special prosecutor's report questioned President Joe Biden's memory last month, but Biden also received more personal insults.
Robert HerrBiden, who was appointed to investigate whether he mishandled classified documents, wrote in an interview with prosecutors that the president could not remember the date his adult son, Beau, died of cancer. It's a shocking controversy over a key event in Biden's life that has led to questions about whether the 81-year-old president is fit to serve another term.
“How on earth could he say something like that?” an exasperated Mr. Biden declared. Press conference scheduled at short notice After the report was published. “Frankly, when I was asked that question, I thought it was none of their business.”
But the reality of the situation is not as clear-cut as Mr. Biden and Mr. Hsu are portraying, according to a transcript of an interview released Tuesday before the former special counsel. He testified at the Capitol.
Mr. Xu did not ask the president about his son's death. Biden brought this up himself during a discussion about how he kept documents in a rented house in Virginia after leaving the vice president's office in 2017.
And while Biden recalled the specific date of Beau's death, he thought a little aloud about that year as the conversation switched between different events.
“What month did Beau die?” Biden wondered. “Oh, God, May 30th.”
A White House lawyer interjected, “It's 2015.”
“Was it 2015 when he died?” Biden asked. When someone answered in the affirmative, the president added, “That was 2015.”
Biden aides defended the president's inaccurate portrayal of the interview in a news conference last month, saying his reaction was visceral and emotional. He also said his interactions with Mr. Hsu showed that Mr. Biden believed it was important to consider how his son's death influenced his subsequent decision-making.
In testimony before the House Judiciary Committee, Hsu said his report's discussion of Biden's memory was “necessary, accurate and fair.” That's because Biden's mental state is an important part of assessing whether he committed a crime.
“I did not sanitize my account or unfairly disrespect the president,” he said.
Asked why Biden angrily accused Hugh of bringing up his son's death when the dossier showed otherwise, White House Press Secretary Ian Sams said: The president said he was asked general questions about Beau, including the book he wrote about his death and the cancer work he inspired. .
“He considered it outrageous and inappropriate that such inappropriate and irrelevant comments should be included in the report, especially when it was clearly referring to the day his son died.” said Sams. “So I think you saw the anger and emotional reaction of a father who is still experiencing the pain of that loss every day.”
The records released Tuesday shed new light on one of the most politically and personally sensitive episodes of Biden's term. The special counsel's investigation found no basis for criminal charges against Biden, but Not like Donald Trumpwas charged with refusing to return classified records to the federal government — a reference to his memory that threatened the president's ability to assure voters he could continue serving until he was 86.
Baugh was Delaware's attorney general and widely considered his father's political successor when he was diagnosed with brain cancer.Biden involved in cancer near his son's National Guard service Toxic combustion pit on military base It was devastating for the family, who had already suffered tragedy in Iraq decades earlier. Shortly after Biden was elected to the Senate in 1972, his first wife and baby daughter died in a car accident, and Beau and his younger brother Hunter were also seriously injured.
Mr. Beau died while Mr. Biden was vice president, and his deep grief ultimately helped Mr. Trump dissuade him from running for president in 2016, when he defeated Hillary Clinton.
Mr. Biden mentioned the death in an interview with Mr. Xu on October 8. They were discussing where Biden kept documents that he was “actively working on” at his home in Virginia.
In response, the president said, going back several years, “During this period, my son is either deployed or dying.”
After a brief exchange about specific dates, Biden began talking about writing his 2017 book, “Dad, Promise Me.”
“This is a personal thing,” he said, adding, “Beau was like my right-hand man and Hunt was like my left-hand man.”
Mr. Hsu offered Biden a break at this point, but the president insisted on continuing his long-winded conversation about his family. Biden told how he made Beau promise to stay out of public life after he was diagnosed with cancer.
Biden said he “couldn't stand” a re-election to the presidency, but was determined to “stay involved.” But Biden has often told stories at fundraisers about the 2017 white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, and the fact that there were “very fine people on both sides.” The company changed its policy in response to President Trump's response.
Biden said he was the “opposite” of everything “this man stood for” and that “I could beat him.”
As he finished speaking, Biden wondered aloud whether Mr. Hsu needed such a long answer.
“I apologize for being so specific,” Biden said.
Hoa replied, “There is no need to apologize.''
____ Associated Press White House correspondent Zeke Miller and writer Seungmin Kim contributed to this report.
