“Can’t make it up”: Experts say transcript shows special counsel Robert Hur “lied” about Biden
SalonMar 12
Special Counsel Hur Testifies for US House
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The Facts
Special Counsel Robert Hur on Tuesday testified before the US House Judiciary Committee over his report on Pres. Joe Biden's handling of classified documents and comments about the president's memory and demeanor found within.
This month, Hur released a report recommending the US Dept. of Justice (DOJ) refrain from charging Biden with crimes over his retention of classified documents after his vice presidency. But Hur also referred to Biden as a "well-meaning elderly man with a poor memory."
The Spin
Democratic narrative
Hur owes Biden an apology for depicting the president as having serious memory lapses despite that not being the mandate of the investigation. The transcript paints a more nuanced picture of Biden's answers and contradicts some of Hur's claims. Hur was defiant in his testimony, but he should have to answer for his tarnishing of Biden's reputation.
Republican narrative
Whether Biden is forgetful and elderly is not relevant here other than the fact that Hur seems to have let Biden off the hook because the special counsel has that impression of the president. Biden's admission that he took the documents willfully was the same explanation Trump gave under questioning, yet Trump is the only one facing criminal charges. Hur needs to better explain this double standard.
Nerd narrative
There is a 48% chance that Joe Biden will be re-elected President of the United States in 2024, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
